By Saidu Idris
365Daily – The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has disclosed that the Federal Government will declare a state of emergency in Anambra if the violence rocking the state continues to threaten the forthcoming governorship elections scheduled to hold on November 6.
He said this on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, after the close of the Federal Executive Council meeting at Aso Villa, Abuja, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He explained that when it is established that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order in its domain, necessary security, in terms of democratic order, must certainly prevail.
In his words: “When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out. As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and properties.
“So, within the context of these constitutional obligations, of the government or the desire to establish democratic norms and order, there is no possibility that [state of emergency] is out ruled.
“The government will certainly do the needful in terms of ensuring that our elections are held in a Anambra in terms of ensuring necessary security is provided, and in terms of ensuring protection is accorded to lives and properties.
“So, what I’m saying in essence, no possibility is out ruled by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra holds, and you cannot out rule possibilities inclusive of the possibility of declaration or state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order.
“So, our position as a government is if these elections are going to hold, necessary security, in terms of democratic order, must certainly prevail for the purpose of this election.”