Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of taking freedom of speech as enshrined in the constitution too far.
He decried the allegations that he was involved in a plot to cause a constitutional crisis by pressuring the Supreme Court to reverse its judgement on the Rivers State All Progressive Congress (APC) primaries,
PDP had recently raised an alarm that Malami was spearheading APC leaders’ plot to mount pressure on the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed, to reverse the February 12, 2019, final judgment of the Supreme Court.
The court had upheld the verdict of the trial court that excluded the APC from participating in the National Assembly, governorship and state Assembly elections in Rivers State, by nullifying what it called flawed party primaries in the state.
The PDP had also alleged that it had information on how the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had been going around in Rivers State, giving assurances that he had the ears of the Supreme Court under the leadership of acting CJN and that the Supreme Court would reverse its final judgment on APC primaries and create the way for fresh elections in Rivers State, in which the APC will be allowed to participate.
But Malami while responding to questions when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting said: “The PDP has taken freedom of speech too far.”
According to him, unless otherwise proved in court that he is involved in the act, it would remain an accusation.
Responding to the allegation, Malami said: “Regarding what was levelled against me by PDP, I think it remains an accusation. It has to remain so until proven through a judicial process.
“But I think it is freedom of speech that has been taken too far.”
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