Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday said that the lingering case challenging the citizenship of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar started in 2019.

The Minister in a statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, said he did not institute the case, noting it was filed by a civil society organization, known as the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (ITEMA).

Malami explains in the statement he titled: ‘I didn’t file suit against Atiku’s Citizenship’ the matter was part of an election case that started in 2019.

The reads: “Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has not instituted legal action on the citizenship or otherwise of the former Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“Malami has never filled any case before any court in the country challenging the citizenship of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“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 in respect of which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party Independent National Electoral Commission and the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation was made a co-defendant.

“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.”

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