The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Attorney General and Minister of Justice (AGF), Abubakar Malami, against attempts to scuttle collation of results of the March 9 governorship election in Rivers State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended collation because of the violence which characterised the election.
The commission has fixed April 2 to 5 for the resumption of collation and declaration of winner.
A statement yesterday by the spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Malami must exercise restraint and not allow himself be used to foist any unconstitutional act as regards the Rivers election.
The party hinged its caution to Abubakar Malami on an alleged statement by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that Malami was working on how to the direct INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to stop the collation of results.
The party reminded Malami that there is no provision of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended), or any part of the Electoral Act 2010 (as Amended), which, in anyway, empowers the AGF to interfere or stop the process of election until the results are declared.
The statement reads: “It is imperative for the AGF to note that Rotimi Amaechi, in his desperation, will want to rope him in and use him to cause a constitutional crisis which has the capacity to derail our democracy.
“The constitution and laws of our country are clear on the powers and statutory functions of the Attorney-General, and that he has no powers to interfere in the conduct of elections or direct the stoppage of an electoral process.
“The AGF should, therefore, distance himself from the ignoble scheme by Amaechi to cause trouble in Rivers State by attempting to scuttle the collation of results in the governorship election, which was clearly won by the PDP and Governor Nyesom Wike.”