The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami on Thursday said the fate of governors and other individuals being investigated for alleged treasonable utterances over the naira redesign will be determined by the security agencies.
He said this while responding to questions from State House reporters while featuring at the Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Some governors such as Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state had picked holes in the implementation of the currency redesign policy and asked their citizens not to comply with the expiration of the legality of the old N500 and N1000.
The two governors were equally among the governors that went to the Supreme Court to stop the February 10 deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from ceasing to recognize the N500 and N1000 naira notes as legal tender.
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Although Malami did not mention the names of the governors while reacting to the notion that their utterances were tantamount to treason, said there was possibility of investigation.
He said the relevant security agencies would, nonetheless, determine if there would be the need for further action.
He also said it was only few individuals that were promoting the interest of some persons that might have gotten their wealth illegally and looted public funds which they intended to use to influence the electorate in the forthcoming elections.
The AGF, who underscored the significance of the redesign policy, which he said will enable citizens to assume collective ownership of the electoral system rather than allowing a few moneybags to take charge, added that the policy was designed to allow freedom of choice and also fight corruption.
Speaking extensively on the benefits of electoral reforms, Malami said it was only the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that had exercised the political will to enhance democratic practice through legislative, political and administrative interventions.
He said the reason behind the recent naira redesign policy was to ensure that Nigerians effectively take ownership of their election processes by way of ensuring that no foreign funds are allowed to influence the people’s decision in terms of ownership and by way of limiting the contributions by Nigerians in political parties.
“Advantages associated with sustenance and allowing the freedom of the people of Nigerians to prevail, freedom devoid of monetary inducement and intervention is equally part of it.
“But then on the issue relating to the open rebellion in view of the fact that the sizable portion of such considerations constitute the subject matter of litigation before the Supreme Court. But above all, as you rightly know, you equally raised the issue of treason or certain order associated with it. These issues are usually issues that are issues of forces.
“So, you cannot rule out the possibility of investigation but the responsibility of investigation and doing the needful arising from the weight and assessment of the implications of the statements is the responsibility of the security agencies and I believe they are doing the needful in that effect to determine whether there is need for further action. Actions associated with investigations as to what other measures need to be taken in case it is their conclusion that there is the need for actions to be taken related to the utterances made. So, that is the best I can say on that rebellion.”
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