BEVERLY HILLS, July 05, (THEWILL) – The Presidency has denied report that the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN distanced the Federal Executive Council from Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s statement there was no need to present Ibrahim Magu to the Senate for confirmation as chairman of the EFCC.
Premium Times had reported that the AGF was asked a specific question during a question and answer session after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.
The question was: “Honourable Attorney General of the Federation. The senate resolutions arose from a statement credited to the acting president to the effect that the Senate has no right to screen certain nominees of the president.
“Can you just make a clarification here. Has the senate gone beyond its powers to actually screen nominees from the president?” asked Leon Osigbe of Tribune.
Malami was reported to have responded thus: “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 before referring further responses to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who simply added that the differences with the National Assembly would be resolved.
Reacting to the report, the Presidency, through its official Twitter handle @NGRPresident, said, “This is false and misleading”, stressing that the Attorney General “did not at any time or in any way” say what the report attributed to him.
It went on to explain that “the Attorney-General’s point is that decisions on Presidential nominations are matters for the Presidency & not the Federal Executive Council.”
