Citizenship: Malami opens up on suit against Atiku

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said he did not institute any legal action on the citizenship of the former Vice President of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Malami said this in a statement by Dr Umar Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, in Abuja on Wednesday.

“I never filed any case before any court in the country challenging the citizenship of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,’’ he said.

He said the matter in contention was part of the 2019 pre-election matters instituted by a Civil Society Organisation – the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa – in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019.

He said that it was in respect of it that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation were made co-defendants.

He noted that the issue had already been widely reported by the media since April, 2019.

“It is unfortunate that stale news stories capable of causing confusion are repackaged and presented to the general public as current news,” the minister said.