The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Abubakar Malami has asked Nigerians to disregard the reports that he asked President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the constitution and declare a state of emergency in Nigeria as insecurity grows in the country.

Malami, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, urged the members of the public to “disregard the media report as fabrications of anti-constitutional democratic stability in Nigeria.”

Gwandu said: “Malami remains a true democrat who believes in rules of law and tenant of democracy and Constitutional order,”.

“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is a constitutionally recognised one with its role and responsibilities embedded in the constitution.”

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He was reported to have written the following in a leaked memo dated May 4, 2021, to Mr Buhari on insecurity: “The essence of declaration is to allow for suspension of constitutional and legal bureaucratic bottlenecks pertaining to matters of National Security with particular regards to fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution and processes and procedures relating to procurements, among others,”

“To douse probable legal tension, it is important for the proclamation instrument of the statement of emergency to expressly provide for the suspension of Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution and its attendant enforcement rules.

“The suspension of rights pertaining to matters of national security will then give legal backing for the proclamation of the statement of emergency to be operational and effective without litigious or judicial distractions.”

Malami Statement reads

*I am Pro-Constitutional Democracy- Malami*

The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has been drawn to a false and fictitious report alleging that there was a secret memo emanating from the Office to the Presidency.

General publics are hereby asked to disregard the media report as fabrications of anti-constitutional democratic stability in Nigeria.

Malami remains a true democrat who believes in rules of law and tenant of democracy and Constitutional order.

The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is a constitutionally recognised one with its role and responsibilities embedded in the constitution.

It is antithetical to common sense to think that the holder of such coveted Office as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will stoop to what was printed by the media.

The Government does not operate in secrecy as it is not a clandestine operation. Hence, Malami discharges his constitutionally recognized mandates in compliance with principles of transparency, openness and accountability.

*Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu*
(Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice)