The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has denied issuing a memo purportedly asking President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a Martial Law.
Martial law involves temporary imposition of military authority to take over normal civilian functions after the suspension of civil law by a government.
It is usually invoked in time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster.
Recall that a media organization had reported on Wednesday that Malami in a leaked memo asked Buhari to suspend the 1999 Constitution and declare Martial Law on Nigeria.
The media outfit, Peoples Gazette quoted copiously part of the allegedly leaked memo where the AGF reportedly suggested to President Buhari to do away with the 1999 constitution and opt for martial law to govern the country.
It quoted Malami to have stated in the memo that, “the essence of the declaration is to allow for suspension of constitutional and legal bureaucratic bottlenecks pertaining to matters of National Security with particular regards to fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution and processes and procedures relating to procurements, among others”.
But the AGF in a statement released in Abuja on Thursday denied, insisting that such memo never emanated from his office.
According to the statement, the Minister described the media report linking him with the memo as the handiwork of anti-constitution elements.
The denial statement was issued by Malami’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr Umar Jibrila Gwandu.
The statement read in part “The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,SAN has been drawn to a false and fictitious report alleging that there was a secret memo emanating from the Office to the Presidency.
“General publics are hereby asked to disregard the media report as fabrications of anti-constitutional democratic stability in Nigeria.
“Malami remains a true democrat who believes in rules of law and tenets of democracy and Constitutional order.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is a constitutionally recognised one with its role and responsibilities embedded in the constitution.
“It is antithetical to common sense to think that the holder of such coveted Office as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will stoop to what was printed by the media.
“The Government does not operate in secrecy as it is not a clandestine operation. Hence, Malami discharges his constitutionally recognized mandates in compliance with principles of transparency, openness and accountability”.