Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Thursday said he has reported the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to President Muhammadu Buhari over plots to proclaim a state of emergency in Anambra State without the approval of the president. Governor Obiano after a meeting with President Buhari at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday disclosed that President Buhari does not support the planned proclamation of state of emergency in Anambra State.
The governor declared that “President Buhari does not want any form of intimidation ahead of the governorship election in Anambra State on November 6, 2021.”
Governor Obiano, disclosing that he has reported the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to President Buhari, declared that the insinuations that a State of Emergency could be proclaimed in Anambra State to ensure security of lives is “unfortunate”.
Governor Obiano lamented that Malami ignored to recommend state of emergency over the violent outburst of bandits, kidnappers and killer herdsmen in the northwest, or the ravaging Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast, beside the turbulent north central. The Anambra State governor cautioned Malami to reserve his expressions on issue of state of emergency in any part of the southeast.
Governor Obiano refuted reports that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) members in Anambra State House of Assembly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor alleged that the state lawmakers were offered N100 million each to crossover to the APC.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had on Wednesday declared that a state of emergency may be proclaimed in Anambra State over increasing incidence of insecurity in the state.
Malami had said that the proclamation of state of emergency would be help to tighten security ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.
The Justice Minister had insisted that the “federal government will do everything possible to ensure the protection of lives and property;” he maintained that “where there is evidence of a failure of the state government to ensure democratic order and security of lives, the Federal Government will prevail and will not rule out the possibility of imposing a state of emergency.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had berated the minister over the plot for state of emergency in Anambra State, saying that the APC government intends to use it to rig the governorship election in the state.