Malami Reacts To Alleged Discord In The Presidency, Says Media Misinterpreted Him
Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation[/caption]
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has responded to remarks credited to him for allegedly denouncing Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s position over the recent controversy surrounding the retention of Ibrahim Magu, as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Malami in a statement released late Thursday, said his remark on the power of the senate screen presidential nominees was not discussed at the Federal Executive Council does not in any way mean the executive disowned the Acting President.
According to him, the Acting President is the Presidency, and therefore cannot disown itself.
The statement reads: “It has come to my notice that a number of media organisations have been distorting and misreporting the proceedings of yesterday’s (July 5, 2017) Federal Executive Council (FEC) press briefing, and suggesting that the Presidency ‘disowned’ the Acting President on a matter relating to a presidential nomination.
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“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.
“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.
“I would like to appeal to the media to take seriously its responsibility to inform the public honestly and accurately, to refrain from distorting or sensationalizing the news, and to seek clarification when in doubt.”
Recall that rising from the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, Leon Osigbe of Tribune newspaper asked Mr. Malami if the Senate went beyond its powers to actually screen nominees from the president.
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Malami responded by 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.
“So, I do not think it constitutes an issue for the Federal Executive Council to make any clarification about because it has never been considered by the Federal Executive Council,” he added.
The AGF’s response is actually not the same stance as that of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who has made it publicly clear that Magu will remain as EFCC boss despite the Senate’s action.
In his reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson Garba Shehu said Mr. Osinbajo’s stance was a personal opinion of the acting president and not that of the Executive.
