A former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, has said that he was at no time barred from from occupying public office or contesting election as being circulated.

In a statement made available to The Boss, the minister, who served under late President Umar Musa Yar’dua’s administration, said the Supreme Court judgment which exonerated him is in public space for as many that wish to read it. He added that it is his intention to run for the governorship seat of Benue State in 2023 that is causing the reactions from his detractors.

Aondoakaa’s detailed statement is as follows:

“This is nothing other than people who are afraid of my popularity or reasons best known to them. Or may be they didn’t read the Supreme Court Judgement. But I have given you the copy of the judgement and the paragraph that is relevant to the issue. It reads in part…”indeed the issue of qualification for holding the office of the second respondent or any other public office does not arise.” The second respondent in this case is the office of the Attorney General of the Federation which I held at that time.

“For whatever reason, some people were happy. This was a private dispute between me and somebody. When I left government, they could have accused me of corruption but there was nothing of such despite the hostile manner I parted government of my handling of late President Yar’adua medical vacation crisis. I was in Rome, doing a UNDROIT job, then the case was in the peak of the aftermath of the late Yar’adua Medical vacation crisis and his Excellency date

“Somebody filed an action against me and the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation at Federal High Court Calabar ,which I was not aware of it . He served it on the Ministry of Justice and by February 10th 2010 , I was removed from office, I was not aware of the case. In fact, the issue was funny, that in 1996, I Michael Kaase Aondoakaa had a law firm called M K Aondoakaa and Co, represented Utan Brama Fire Disaster Community in Akwa Ibom State. I was barely about 10 years at the bar. That I represented the Utan Brama Fire Disaster community in Akwa ibom State and when I became Attorney General I paid the money and had personal interest with them because of the payment amounting to conflict of interest. Look at how easy they would have taken me to ICPC or EFCC or Code of Conduct. Somebody sued me for that.

“Federal Ministry of Justice, Port Harcourt office went there and filed a defence for office of Attorney General of the Federation but did not file defence for me because i was no longer Attorney General of the Federation at the time the case was held in June 2010. The Senior State Counsel Mrs Akpan who filed conditional memorandum of appeal also on my behalf did not appear at the hearing of the matter. I have have seen or met Mrs Akpan in my life though she might have entered appearance for me and the Office of Attorney General of the Federation in her normal official status as the resident State Counsel in at port Harcourt zonal office of the Federal Ministry of Justice.I was not aware of the case and judgement was entered against me. The issue is now in court again because when I came back after this judgement, we sought from the current Hon. Attorney General to find out what really happened…may be I made the said payment but I was sure that in 1996 I was practicing in Gboko and I wonder how I could have gone to represent people in Akwa Ibom state. I Sought the aforesaid under Freedom of Information Act, and we got a shocker which is now a matter pending in court. The said payment was done in 2006 by my predecessor (former Attorney General). The amount the plaintiff accused me to have paid was 414million and I was still negotiating to pay judgment debt interest amounting to 700million naira. . What my predecessor actually paid was 350Million in 2006 as full and final payment by consent of the parties in the matter . Furthermore that my law firm MK Aondoakaa &Co never acted for Utam Brama Fire Disaster Community . The case was decided based on sworn affidavit evidence of the Plaintiff which facts therein were uncontested because I had no defence being unaware of the case. The lawyers from Federal Ministry of Justice did appear in court during the hearing of the case.

Relying on several authorities of the Supreme Court which says a judgement obtained by fraud can be set aside as being a tortuous wrong, we went back to court and the matter is in court, so I will not comment further. I have served them and they have joined issues. Now that they said on oath that I am the one who made the payment in Utan Brama Fire Disaster case and had personal interest by also representing the said Utan Brama in a private capacity but under the Freedom of Information the Office of the Attorney of the Federation has confirmed that the money was paid in 2006 and I became Attorney General of the Federation in 2007. I am back in court on the grounds of obtaining judgement against me by fraud. I have reported the fraud to Inspector General for investigation. That truth can only be delayed but can never hidden forever.

“In any case, I read the judgement which says it has nothing to do with me holding public office or contesting election. They don’t read the Constitution. What does the Constitution say? It says even if you are convicted of breach of Code of Conduct of public office or an offence involving dishonesty, it is only for 10years. Section 182 of the Constitution i and the Code of Conduct Schedule 15 are very clear. This judgement was given in June 2010 at the heat of the crisis which involved me at the initial time of President Jonathan administration over the manner late President Yar’adua Medical vacation was handled and my stand over the matter

“From June 2010 to June 2020, is that not 10 years? But they are narrow-minded. Instead of coming to say on the table, this is what I have for Benue people, it is Aondoakaa they want to face. The judgement is there in the Supreme Court and I have given a copy to whoever wants to read it.”