MAGU: Osinbajo is the presidency for now, his submission final, AGF Malami clarifies

Attorney General of the Federation, and minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said that there is only one presidency at the moment in Nigeria.

According to him, it is “categorically clear that: The President – and in this case the Acting President – is the Presidency, and therefore cannot be disowned by the Presidency”.

Malami, also stated that his position on the issue of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chairman’s confirmation should not be seen to mean that ‘the presidency disowned itself’.

Malami stated this to clarify his alleged earlier statement on the face-off between Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and the Senate over Ibrahim Magu staying put as the acting chairman of the EFCC.

Osinbajo had during an interview in April aligned himself to the position of a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, that Magu’s appointment did not necessarily require Senate approval.

Angered with that statement, the Senate threatened that it was no longer going to confirm any appointment sent to it by the Presidency. It also demanded that Osinbajo withdrew his statement on Magu’s confirmation.

But Malami was said to have on Wednesday at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting washed the hands of Federal Executive Council off Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s statement that Senate approval is not necessary for Magu’s confirmation.

He was quoted as saying, “The fundamental consideration about the alleged statement is the fact that at no point ever did the Federal Executive Council sit down to arrive at the decision in one way or the other as far as the issue of nomination or otherwise is concerned.”

However in a statement on the matter on Thursday following the controversies his statement has generated, Malami said his comment should not be misconstrued.

He said, “It has come to my notice that a number of media organisations have been distorting and misreporting the proceedings of yesterday’s (Wednesday) Federal Executive Council (FEC) press briefing, and suggesting that the Presidency ‘disowned’ the Acting President on a matter relating to a presidential nomination.

“As the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, I would like to make it categorically clear that: The President – and in this case the Acting President – is the Presidency, and therefore cannot be disowned by the Presidency.

Read also : SAGAY: AGF Malami should be sacked for insurbordination to Osinbajo

“All matters relating to Presidential Appointments and Nominations are strictly a matter for the Presidency to handle. They are not for the Federal Executive Council, and are therefore not discussed at FEC level. This was the point I made yesterday at the press briefing, and which was unfortunately distorted by the media.”

Malami clarification is coming as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), has argued that his alleged earlier position on the matter was an act of insubordination capable of having him sacked.

“Malami was out of order because the constitution stated clearly that the opinion or decision of the President or acting President was final and could not be questioned by any minister”. Sagay had said.

 

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