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Socio-cultural groups, military, legal experts, lawmakers, others condemn plot
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Anger, hostility trail allegations
By Our Correspondents
The February 25 presidential election still remains a bone of contesion even after the votes have been concluded and a winner declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, beat his opponents in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi to emerge winner of what has been acknowledged as the most keenly contested presidential election in Nigeria.
But the duo of Atiku and Obi have separately filed petitions in the electoral tribunal challenging the outcome of the poll which they claimed was riddled with malpractice.
One of the bones of contention by Atiku and Obi is the fact that INEC failed to upload the presidential election results from polling units as prescribed by the Electoral Act 2022. They are also argueing that the declared winner of the election did not fulfill the mandatory constitutional requirement of winning 25 percent of votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
So far, the two petitioners have been granted leave by yhe courts to inspect the materials used by INEC for the conduct of the election. But some supporters of the opposition candidates are said to be suggesting that rather than handover power to Tinubu on May 29, an interim government should be constituted.
This suggestion has ruffled shoulders and has become a subject of national political discourse in the past week.
Specifically,
Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had called on President Buhari and Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), not to inaugurate Tinubu, tagging it an “illegality”.
Some demonstrators also went to the defence headquarters building in Abuja on Tuesday, to protest the outcome of the presidential election in what was construed as an invitation for military intervention, which the secret police spokesman alleged were sponsored protests.
What is most interesting, however, is the way and manner some groups and individuals are struggling to outdo themselves in the rush to condemn the suggestion.
Recall that the military administration of former President Ibrahim Babangida having failed to uphold the 1993 Presidential election believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, constituted an Interim Government for the first time in the history of Nigeria before stepping aside. The abberation headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan, however, lasted for only about three months before it was overthrown by late General Sani Abacha who then perpetuated military rule for another five years.
Before the Directorate of State Service, DSS, affirmed last week that the ING plot was real, the preponderant topic of political discourse was either the moves by the aggrieved contestants to up their game in court, or the suggestion by others on the need for a government of national unity to be formed by Tinubu after swearing in on May 29.
The Defence Headquarters was the most recent major stakeholder to condemn the alleged Interim National Government, ING, plot. Although some have argued that the military has no business delving into purely political issues, it has been reasoned that the defence sector is simply putting the records straight so as not to be accused of complicity. Not when every other group is rushing to the media space to wash their hands off, even those opposed to the President-elect.
Accordingly, the DHQ onThursday described the call for interim government by some individuals in the country as unfortunate and unconstitutional.
Major General Musa Danmadami, Director, Defence Media Operations, stated this while addressing newsmen at the bi-weekly briefing on military operations across Nigeria in Abuja.
Danmadami insisted that those calling for an interim government were just trying to be mischievous, saying that the Constitution didn’t provide for an interim national government.
He said: “On the issue of interim government, it is rather unfortunate. An election has been conducted and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a president-elect.
“It’s not our responsibility to speak on that issue, but I know that several calls have been made from the Presidency that there’s nothing like an interim national government.
“So I think people were just trying to be mischievous. It’s unconstitutional and all of us know that. The Constitution doesn’t provide for an interim national government and that is the point the Presidency has been hammering on and that’s our stand.”
Prior to the DSS confirmation, the interim government suggestion had been confined to the realm of speculations.
The DSS officially confirmed that a section of the political class was planning for an interim government to truncate the smooth transition of power on May 29 from President Muhammadu Buhari to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, in a statement, said the agency had uncovered plot by key political actors to install an interim government in the country. He identified some key players in the scheme, but did not give names of the masterminds.
The nation’s intelligence organ said the planners of the ‘interim government’ plot had already held several meetings, during which they weighed many options to actualise their plan, including sponsoring endless mass protests across Nigerian cities, securing a warrant to declare a state of emergency or a court injunction to stop the inauguration of the executive and the legislature at the federal and state levels, while plunging the country into an avoidable crisis.
The statement said: “DSS considers the plot, being pursued by these entrenched interests, as not only an aberration but a mischievous way to set aside the Constitution and undermine civil rule as well as plunge the country into an avoidable crisis.
“The illegality is totally unacceptable in a democracy and to peace-loving Nigerians. This is even more so that the machination is taking place after the peaceful conduct of the elections in most parts of the country.
“The planners, in their many meetings, have weighed various options, which include, among others, to sponsor endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency. Another is to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and state levels.
“DSS supports the President and Commander-in-Chief in his avowed commitment to a hitch-free handover and will assiduously work in this direction. It also supports the Presidential Transition Council and such other related bodies in the states. It will collaborate with them and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure seamless inaugurations come May 29.”
“Consequently, the Service strongly warns those organising to thwart democracy in the country to retract from their devious schemes and orchestrations.
“Stakeholders, notably judicial authorities, media and the Civil Society, are enjoined to be watchful and cautious to avoid being used as instruments to subvert peace and stability of the nation. While its monitoring continues, the DSS will not hesitate to take decisive and necessary legal steps against these misguided elements to frustrate their obnoxious intentions,” Afunanya stated.
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However, some have expressed reservations over the revelation by the DSS and had been asking why no attempt had beemade by the service to arrest the interim government plotters.
For the House of Representatives, the DSS should have backed up their revelation with the arrest of some prominent politicians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Vice Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Dr. Datti Ahmed and a prominent Lawyer over the alleged call for an interim government.
Reps in a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Hon. Unyime Idem, however, condemned the calls for an interim government.
It affirmed that the call for an interim government is unconstitutional and undemocratic, and mandated all the security agencies to be on alert to forestall the possible breakdown of law and order.
The lawmakers, who called for the arrest and prosecution of some of the Nigerians involved in calling for an interim government include: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Sa’ad Abubakar; Hon. Kuye Ademorin and Hon. Sada Soli.
In his lead debate, Hon. Idem who frowned at the development, noted that the interim government is undemocratic and unknown to extant laws on the country.
He observed that Part I, Section 132 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “allows for change of leadership through the ballots.
Similarly, Afenifere, a pan Yoruba sociocultural group in the United Kingdom and Europe, has warned Nigerian politicians to avoid any plot to impose an interim government on Nigerians, emphasising that since the 2023 elections are already in court, the rule of law should take its course.
The group strongly condemns those considering an interim government, claiming that Nigeria has progressed beyond this primitive sentiment or impression capable of destabilising democracy.
The group, in a statement issued on Monday, April 3, 2023, by its Secretary, Engr. Anthony Ajayi, said those waving the emblem of crisis in Nigeria should stop immediately, noting that the crisis would further deteriorate the country’s economy.
The statement said, “It is dissecting and disturbing that interim government has become part of the conversations in Nigerian politics today. Politicians with this idea should know that there is no constitutional provision for an interim government in Nigeria and those peddling it should be reminded of the gravest consequences for their treasonable intent.”
Also last weekend, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) called for the arrest and prosecution of anyone or persons caught canvassing for interim government in Nigeria.
The influential socio-cultural group noted that Nigerians will resist any attempt by individuals or groups to foist an interim government.
A leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum, on Saturday, called on the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute proponents of interim national government.
He said the agitation, in some quarters, to foist interim government on Nigerians, after Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress had been declared President-elect, was the height of unpatriotism for the country.
The chairman, Kwara State chapter of ACF, Dr Mohammed Ghali-Alaaya, who made the call, while addressing journalists at the Annual Weekend Ramadan Lecture of Kwara State Television Authority, which held in Ilorin, on Saturday, insisted that Nigerians chose their preferred candidate among the array of presidential flag-bearers during the general elections.
He therefore wondered why those canvassing an interim government were yet to come to terms with the reality of that choice.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum and many other groups have all expressed stern oppositions to calls for a caretaker government in place of winners produced by the February 25 presidential poll.
