BY: Obioma C. Appolos
A constitutional lawyer and human rights campaigner, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), earlier on Thursday, 14 February 2019, lampooned the the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) for allegedly issuing an “ill-advised” directive to the INEC in respect of the decision of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, which barred the electoral umpire from accepting any list of candidates from the Zamfara State All Progressives Congress for the February 16 and March 2, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.
Ozekhome also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to totally disregard any contrary attempt of influence by person or group of persons, just like it did to a legal advice purportedly written to the commission by the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), directing the electoral umpire to postpone 2019 polls in Zamfara State.
INEC had said the Zamfara State APC had failed to conduct primary elections that would have produced candidates for the elections in the state.
However, the Governor Abdulaziz Yari-led faction of the APC in the state had maintained that it held primaries for the various positions.
On the other hand, the Senator Kabiru Marafa-led faction of the APC in Zamfara disagreed with Yari, saying there were no primaries in the state’s APC Chapter.
It would be recalled that the Sokoto Division of the appellate court on Wednesday, held that the APC had no candidate to field in the February and March polls.
Ozekhome who is counsel to the Marafa-led faction of the APC, noted that it became imperative to clear some misconceptions in the media (not The Labour), concerning the ruling of the Appeal Court on the matter.
The lawyer described the AGF’s purported letter to INEC as “unfortunate,” adding, “This is a party affair and has nothing to do with the entire country. It is unfortunate that the AGF would issue a legal advice directing the INEC to postpone the elections in Zamfara State, when the Court of Appeal has already ruled, putting the matter to rest for now.
“I was taken aback when my client sent me a lettering written by the AGF to the INEC. There was never any decision from the Appeal Court; asking APC to field candidates for the forthcoming polls in Zamfara Stage. That is a lie from the pit of hell,” Ozekhome thundered.
He urged: “INEC should not be intimidated or harassed into postponing the polls in Zamfara. I have written INEC to stay put on its earlier position that there were no primaries by the APC in Zamfara.
The fierce human rights activist declared that the AGF and the APC are brazenly trying to circumvent the litigation processes that are going on in Nigeria.
He further averred that there was no short cut to justice anywhere in the world.
However, the electoral umpire on Thursday debunked the purported letter that was written by the AGF directing it to postpone the elections in Zamfara State.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzezi, said: “we have not received the letter, but when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. But for now, we have not received any such letter in INEC. It is on social media. How am I sure that it is not one of those social media gimmicks? I can’t comment on something I have not seen; I have made enquiries from the INEC chairman and he said there is nothing like such letter and he has not received any such letter.”
The AGF in the letter which was said to have been written to the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and dated February 13, 2019, cited Sections 38 and 39 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2010 to support his argument. The AGF allegedly said that the postponement would enable the Zamfara State APC to field candidates for all the positions.
According to Malami, the letter reportedly acted upon a petition written by the firm of M.A. Mahmud (SAN) and Co and further advised INEC to comply with the instructions immediately.
