AGF distances self from Abia government crisis

• Malami urges parties in dispute to await court’s decision
• I didn’t abscond, says state CJ

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, whose name continues to be linked to the political drama playing out in Abia State yesterday distanced himself from the crisis.

Malami, in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman, Salihu Othman Isah said he has offered no advice either way and maintained that the imbroglio should be resolved in the courts.

The AGF said, “Of particular concern are those who have peddled ill-natured rumours with a view to misinform our discerning populace that the Attorney General of the Federation and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria that gave directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah declaring him Governor-Elect. He has definitely not taken any action either by spoken words or body language as far as this Abia governorship crisis is concerned.

He added, “I wish to therefore, on behalf of my principal declare that these rumours are untrue and a figment of the imagination of those pushing these selfish, shameless and irredeemable lies into public space which only translates to partisanship on the side of its purveyors.”

“So far, nobody has approached him to proffer any legal opinion to it. As a strong believer in the rule of law, it is his belief that the law should naturally take its cause. The Attorney General of the Federation will not be dragged into this controversy and mind-games being played out by the various legal minds and spin doctors of both camps at this point,” the statement said.

“The parties involved should await the decision of the courts. In fact, we wish to by this statement advice those in the habit of dragging the highly esteemed Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into knotty issue of this kind even when it is yet to take a position. They should desist from these unwarranted presumptions henceforth. ”

Meanwhile, Abia State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Uzoamaka Uzokwe has denied reports that she went into hiding or absconded from office last Thursday to avoid swearing into the office of state governor of Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah as ordered last Monday by Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Federal High Court.

Acting Chief Registrar of the state judiciary Mrs. Vicky Analaba, in a press statement described such allegation and insinuations as spurious and mischievous insisting that the Chief Judge was in her office throughout work time on Thursday 30 June 2016 from 8:30am till 4:30pm and thus did not abscond from her duty post on Thursday 30th June 2016, to avoid swearing in Uche Ogah as Governor of Abia State.

Analaba stated, “for the avoidance of doubt, on Thursday 30th June 2016, the Chief Judge was in her court room performing her lawful duties, including the delivery of four rulings on that date.”

She listed the suits she delivered rulings on that day, as HU/35CM/2015 FRANCIS AKOR vs THE STATE; HU/ICM/2016-JOHNSON ASIEGBU vs. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, HU/42CM/2016-ONYEKACHI SAMUEL vs. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE; HU/34CM/2016-LUCKY SAMPSON vs. THE STATE.”