The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has told federal high Court in Abuja that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, is not qualified to contest for the position of a President in Nigeria.

Malami said this in an affidavit, in support of a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019, and filed before a court by the incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA).

The AGF, through his legal team, led by Oladipo Okpereyi argued that Atiku was not born a Nigerian, or by Nigerian parents.

According to the AGF, Atiku was born on November 25, 1946 at Jada, at the time in Northern Cameroon. By the plebiscite of 1961, the town, Jada, was incorporated into Nigeria.

He said, ” This is even more so, where his parents do not belong to any tribe indigenous to Nigeria until their death.

“The facts of his (Atiku) birth on Cameroonian territory to Cameroonian parents remain unchallenged.

“At best, the first defendant can only acquire Nigerian citizenship by 1961 plebiscite. The citizenship qualifications under sections 26 and 27 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), by implication has limited the first defendant’s privileges or rights and cannot be equal or proportional to the privilege of other citizens who acquire their citizenship status by birth”.

“This is would include the legal preclusion of the first defendant from contesting for the president of Nigeria.

He further argued that the only situation where Atiku could have acquired Nigerian citizenship by birth under the 1999 Constitution, was if both or either of his parents and grand parents were Nigerian citizens by birth.

AGF added that another way would have been if either his parents had become Nigerian citizen by virtue of Section 25(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which must be in compliance with Sections 26 and 27of the same constitution.

Lolo Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News