Africa Press-Nigeria:<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s attorney-general and justice minister Abubakar Malami on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s decision to lockdown Lagos, Ogun State and Abuja was not in breach of the country\u2019s constitution.<\/p>\n
Malami in response to a human rights lawyer Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, said his criticism that Buhari lacked the constitutional power to shut down the two states and the country\u2019s capital city was \u2018wrong and misconstrued.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cSection 305(6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) permits a proclamation of a State of Emergency to run for a period of 10 days without the approval of the National Assembly when the parliament is not in session as in the present situation wherein the National Assembly has shut down,\u201d Malami said.<\/p>\n
Buhari on Sunday ordered the restriction of movements in Nigeria\u2019s capital city Abuja and Lagos, which are the hardest hit by a coronavirus in the country.<\/p>\n
These measures, Buhari said, are the best and most efficient way to avoid getting infected is through regular hygienic and sanitary practices as well as social distancing.<\/p>\n
Buhari noted that business closures in the nation\u2019s capital city, Lagos and Ogun State will cause many citizens inconveniences but urged them to see it as a sacrifice for the good of the country.<\/p>\n
However, Adegboruwa believes that Buhari has no powers to restrict the movement of persons without recourse to the National Assembly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are running a constitutional democracy and it is illegal for the President to take over the affairs of any State of the country,\u201d Adegboruwa said.<\/p>\n
Other Nigerians including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, opposition People\u2019s Democratic Party (PDP) also faulted the President\u2019s directive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Africa Press-Nigeria: Nigeria\u2019s attorney-general and justice minister Abubakar Malami on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s decision to lockdown Lagos, Ogun State and Abuja was not in breach of the country\u2019s constitution. Malami in response to a human rights lawyer Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, said his criticism that Buhari lacked the constitutional power to shut down the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":19424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,15],"tags":[206,1104],"class_list":["post-23302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-lagos","tag-malami"],"yoast_head":"\n