Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has warned Nigerians against attaching political interpretations to every judicial matters out of their own perception.
Fagbemi who gave the warning while speaking at the presentation of a book titled “Tribulations and Trophies, Bola Ajibola in His Own Words,” in Lagos on Thursday, said such political interpretations will always portend danger and misgivings.
The AGF who frowned at the practice, urged Nigerians and political stakeholders to always do away with emotions and rely on the Constitution of the country in seeking answers to legal questions.
Fagbemi who used the recent declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu as a case study, stressed that thus far, he has maintained neutrality on the subject since it is a matter of litigation in the law court.
“When issues like this come up, people should go and read very well and get themselves familiar with what the law says. It’s not a matter of sentiment or emotions, but a matter of basic facts on ground,” the AGF said.
He noted that the appointment of Rear Admiral Ibas Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator of Rivers following the suspension of Governor Sim Fubara and the House of Assembly members by Tinubu has generated diverse views, but however, cautioned against unnecessary comments by people who are not comfortable with the President’s decision and are interpreting the law based on their political affiliations.
“Nigerians should stop interpreting the law based on political partisanship, but let’s stick to the law. You’ll see that I’ve avoided taking sides on any issue, though I’m part of the government.
“I know that this matter has been subjected to judicial scrutiny, and we should allow the court to make its decision one way or the other.
“People should avoid making unnecessary comments. Since we have subjected the matter to court interpretation, let’s wait for the judiciary to make its pronouncement,” he emphasized.
© Ripples Nigeria