Former Anambra state governor and presidential candidate under The People’s Democrats Party (PDP) Peter Obi has berated the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for saying the federal government was considering imposing a state of emergency in Anambra ahead of the November 6 gubernatorial election.
Mr Obi, while speaking on Arise TV on Monday, said it was ironic that the federal government was considering a state of emergency in Anambra whereas Nigeria as a whole was facing dire security challenges.
“Saying that they want to declare a state of emergency in Anambra because of insecurity should actually mean that they need to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria because if you want to declare a state of emergency in Anambra because of insecurity, you have to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria because of insecurity,” Mr Obi said.
He asked Mr Malami to stop being partisan working for the APC, but for the government.
“Also, he is the Attorney General of the Federation and not the Attorney General of the Federal Government of PDP or the APC, but of the federation. There is a position that you would be in and you are now working for the government,” Mr Obi said.
Mr Malami had on October 6, threatened that the Buhari regime would impose a state of emergency in Anambra if the security situation did not improve.
Mr Obi who ran as the vice presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 election, said Mr Malami’s comment could hurt Nigeria’s economy and security.
“Even in government when they make a statement, they should always evaluate their statement and the implication, and the overall wellbeing of their statement.
“People don’t know that the greatest contributor to GDP, growth, is intangible asset, which is security, law and order and even behaviour and the statements of the leaders.
“Their statement can actually hurt the economy and hurt the place. So, they should ensure that their words and statements are something that has gone through scrutiny,” he said.
Last week the Anambra state government criticized Mr Malami’s comment, saying that “For the past seven years, Anambra has remained the safest (and) most stable in Nigeria.”
