Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, has denied reports of him gifting Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) to delegates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kebbi State.
While a section of the media quoting sources close to the minister said the gifted vehicles were in their hundreds, others reported that the automobiles were not up to fifty in number.
The reports said the gifts were distributed to the delegates to procure their support for Malami’s governorship ambition which he recently joined.
But describing the reports as mischievous and misconstrued, Mr Malami said he did not donate vehicles to any delegate of the ruling party, challenging journalists to investigate the matter.
“At this moment, I have experienced a barrage of attacks, left, right and centre, some are local and others international, an attack that has to do with an allegation that I shared many expensive vehicles to delegates of APC,” he said on Tuesday during an interactive session with journalists in Birnin Kebbi. “As a person with some associates, neither I nor a friend of mine shared any vehicle to any delegate across the state.
He claimed that it was one of the non-governmental organisation he is associated with that distributed the automobiles to its workers and not him.
“I know I had an interactive session with APC stakeholders some days ago and had accepted calls from Kebbi people to run for the state governorship; the meeting was not for distribution of vehicles to any APC stakeholder,” he said.
“Let me state categorically that some of the foundations, as Khadi Malami and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative I am associated with over time, have workers who have demonstrated a greater capacity in the development of the state.
“These associations have contributed immensely in poverty alleviation, provision of social amenities to remotest areas, empowering unemployed youth and women, as well as small and medium scale farmers and businessmen and women, among others, in the state.
“In appreciation of what the workers of the associations have been doing in the state and beyond, the supporters of the associations, collectively and individually, decided to solicit for support from well-meaning Nigerians that have been supporting the NGOs in order to reward those that have been manning the affairs of the NGOs.
“None of the APC stakeholder or delegate in Kebbi State was given any vehicle by me, and I have not yet donated any vehicle to any delegate.
“The mischief makers can contact the National Secretariat of the APC, get the lists of all the APC stakeholders and delegates in Kebbi State.
“You too can do an investigative story to reach out to them, then you will realise how fictitious the claim is.
“There is no connection between the names of APC stakeholders and the beneficiaries of the vehicles and are not connected whatsoever,” he explained.
