Why I Have Decided Not To Take Sides On Rivers Emergency Rule – AGF, Fagbemi

The Attorney-General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi has revealed that he has avoided taking sides in the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu because the matter is being subjected to judicial scrutiny.

He warned Nigerians to stop interpreting judicial matters through partisan lenses, insisting that there is a need for stakeholders to shun emotions and sentiments when seeking answers to legal questions.

Fagbemi stated this on Thursday while addressing newsmen at the presentation of a book titled: ‘Tribulations and Trophies: Bola Ajibola… in His Own Words!’, in Lagos.

The book is the autobiography of a former Attorney-General of the federation and ex-judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Bola Ajibola.

The AGF said, “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.

“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.”