The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Attorney
General and Minister of Justice (AGF) Abubakar Malami SAN, against
attempts to scuttle the collation of results of the March 9
governorship election in Rivers State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had
suspended collation of the results as a result of the violence that
characterised the election. The commission has fixed April 2-5 for
the resumption of collation and declaration of winner.
But in a statement, Sunday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola
Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said Malami must exercise
restraint and should not allow himself to be used to foist any
unconstitutional act regarding the Rivers election.
The party hinged its caution to Malami on alleged statement by
the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, to the effect
that AGF Malami was working on how to write to the INEC chairman,
Prof Mahmood Yakubu directing him to stop the collation of the
Rivers election results.
The PDP reminded Malami that there is no provision of the 1999
Constitution (as Amended) or any part of the Electoral Act 2010 (as
Amended) that, in anyway, empowers the AGF to interfere or stop the
process of election until declaration of result is made.
“It is imperative for the AGF to note that Rotimi Amaechi, in
his desperation, will want to rope him in and use him to cause a
constitutional crisis that has the capacity to derail our
democracy.
“The constitution and laws of our nation are clear on the powers
and statutory functions of the Attorney General and that he has no
powers to interfere in the conduct of elections or direct the
stoppage of an electoral process.
“The AGF should, therefore, distance himself from the ignoble
scheme by Rotimi Amaechi to cause trouble in Rivers state by
attempting to scuttle the collation of results in the Rivers
governorship election, which has been clearly won by the PDP and
Governor Nyesom Wike”, the statement added.
The PDP also charged INEC to save the nation any constitutional
crisis by asserting its independence in concluding the collation
process as well as respecting the will of the people.
Read more pdp-cautions-agf-malami-on-rivers-election/
EFCC is Not Probing Outgoing APC Governors Amosu,
Okocha, Yari
The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC has been drawn to a lead story of Sunday Punch Newspaper of
March 31, 2019, titled: “EFCC raises teams to quiz Amosun, Okocha,
Yari as immunity ends”.
The newspapers had claimed that ahead of May 29, 2019, handover
date to newly elected states helmsmen, the Commission has set up
teams to probe some governors accused of perpetuating acts of
corruption.
It is instructive to note that the reporter did not give the
composition and terms of reference of the purported teams set up by
the EFCC.
The report is a figment of the imagination of the reporter as
everything about the setting of the teams ended with the first
paragraph without details of such teams being set up.
Again, the story is not true, as the EFCC does not go after
anybody, including ex-governors on speculative ground.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission only act after the
investigators have done a thorough job on any individual or firm
involved in corruption related cases.
The Commission wants to advise our stakeholders, including our
friends in the media to be circumspect and verify their stories
before going to press.
Members of the public are therefore advise to disregard the
story as no team has been set up against any former governor.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity