The Federal Government, on Tuesday, said it did not relieve Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of his job, but rather it was the vice-president who abandoned his office.
This is contained in a counter-affidavit filed by the counsel to the Federal Government, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), against a motion on notice filed by the vice-president in which he asked the Court of Appeal for a mandatory injunction to compel the Federal Government to restore all his privileges.
In the counter-affidavit, which was sworn to by Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju, a Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Federal Government accused Abubakar of not telling the court the truth in the suit.
Government argued that all the reliefs sought by the vice-president were baseless because nobody had �disturbed him (Abubakar) from enjoying the facilities and privileges attached to his office.
�In fact, nobody from the Presidency has threatened to arrest him,� the affidavit reads.
Government stated that it was Abubakar who voluntarily and partially abandoned his official residence in Aso Villa and his official cars in the process.
It, however, stated that the State House Motor Transport Department had taken protective custody of the official vehicles to prevent them from being stolen after the vice-president had abandoned them.
�That the vehicles are safe and intact for the use of the vice-president anytime he decides to move back to his official residence,� the counter-affidavit stated.
Government told the court that the family members of the vice-president and his aides were still living in Aso Villa, which he abandoned.
It added that the vice-president�s wife, relations and people were also occupying his official residence in Ikoyi Crescent, Lagos, and that none of them had been told to move out.
The counter-affidavit also stated that the President had not written any letter declaring the seat of the vice-president vacant.
Government also denied making plans to nominate someone to replace the vice-president.
More facts also emerged on Tuesday why Abubakar�s lawyers hurriedly withdrew the case he filed on December 28, 2006.
According to a court official, the suit was not properly filed because it was not endorsed by a justice of the Court of Appeal as required by the court rules.
Had it not been withdrawn, the suit would have been declared incompetent.
The vice-president reduced the number of reliefs to eight as against 16 contained in the withdrawn suit.
Meanwhile, the Head of Chief Afe Babalola Chambers in Abuja, Mr.Bankole Akomolafe, told our correspondent that the Federal Government would file counter-claims to the suit filed by the vice-president.
He said that some of the reliefs being sought by the Federal Government were contained in the suit filed by the vice-president and that other reliefs which were not contained there would be requested in a counter claim to be filed on Wednesday or Thursday.
He said the Federal Government maintained its position that Abubakar had resigned his appointment as vice-president by abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party the party, under which he was elected vice-president.