Kebbi Lawmaker: Malami, Others will Resign Before APC Primaries

*Says AGF already obtained forms to contest Kebbi governorship poll
Sunday Aborisade, Abuja

The House of Representatives member, representing Argungu/Augie federal constituency in Kebbi State, Bashar Isah has said the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami would resign his appointment before the party’s governorship primary slated for this month.

Isah stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday.
He confirmed that Malami had already obtained the necessary forms needed to contest the Kebbi State Governorship Election, from the national Secretariat of the party in Abuja.

He alleged that those blackmailing the AGF over his recent cars distribution and the presidential amnesty granted to some prisoners, were also aiming to rule Kebbi State next year, but were afraid to face Malami at the polls because of his popularity.

Isah said, “The Attorney General of the Federation has collected forms to contest the forthcoming Kebbi governorship primary election and I have also picked my own too. I want to return to the National Assembly.
“The provisions of the new  Electoral Act, in Section 84 (12) did not direct the political appointees to resign within a specific period.

“It only stipulates that they should resign before the primary election. Malami is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and he cannot make that mistake.

“The law says political appointees should resign before the primary election. He is going to resign before then. He must resign because even our party, the APC will not allow him to remain in office while standing for the primary election.

“He is not the only person. Other political appointees would equally resign. Whoever wants to contest among them must resign.”

The lawmaker described all the allegations so far levelled against Malami in recent times as false, saying they were targeted at tarnishing his image because of his popularity among his people.
He said, “The allegations against the Hon Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami are mere hearsay.

“They are false. It is true that he distributed cars to some people, but the critics had blown it out of proportion.
“They are accusing him of distributing cars to delegates. Some others are saying that the cars were from the customs auctions which is not true at all.

“How can they possibly believe that a man who has more than over 1000 delegates to contend with would distribute cars to all of them? He cannot do that.

“It is not also true that he collected cars from the Nigerian Customs Service because the current Comptroller General of the NCS did not give more than three cars to any individual in an auction, no matter the status in the society.

“How can the AGF now collects more than three cars and give out to delegates. The allegations are completely false. I want the public to disregard that allegation.

“It is one of his associates that supported his governorship aspirations in Kebbi State with the 10 cars. It is a common thing. A member of the House of Representatives recently distributed over 100 cars to his constituents and heavens did not fall.

“Some people are just interested in tarnishing his image and defame his character just because they had scored to settle with him.

“Those who are behind the falsehood against the AGF are those who wanted to contest the next governorship elections with him but have suddenly discovered that he is much more popular than them and that the best thing is to tarnish his image.”

On the issue of presidential pardon to wrong prisoners, the lawmaker said Malami did not carry out the exercise, unilaterally.

He said, “The amnesty granted some prisoners was not a unilateral decision of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General. It was done by a committee put together by the President.

“The Committee even included Christians and Muslim clerics. People are merely accusing Malami because he is the Attorney General.

“The president, his vice and other top Nigerians numbering about 15 are members of the committee and they all approved the list of people that were pardoned,” he added.