Interim Government must be rejected
Since the announcement of Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 Presidential election and declared President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) there have been mixed reactions. While many celebrated the victory of Tinubu, others condemned it.
Outside litigations prominently advanced by the Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) civil society groups have saturated the public space with supporting and counterclaims that the elections were compromised.
LP, PDP presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Abubakar Atiku claimed they were cheated, asking the election tribunal to grant them justice.
While their supporters keep hope on the expectation of the court upturning Tinubu’s victory at the poll, the Department of State Security, DSS on Wednesday confirmed claims on plans by some powerful forces to hoist Interim Government on Nigerians.
The former aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, first raised the alarm last month.
Terrible that the Secret Security said the plot for an interim government is a mischievous way to set aside the constitution, undermine civil rule and plunge the country into an avoidable crisis.
“The illegality is unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace-loving Nigerians.
“This is even more so that the intrigue occurs after the peaceful elections in most parts of the country. In their many meetings, the planners have weighed various options, including sponsoring endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of a 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.
The service, however, strongly warned those organising the plot to retract from their devious schemes and orchestrations.
DSS cautioned all stakeholders and Nigerians to be watchful and avoid being used as instruments to subvert the peace and stability of the nation.
It added that it monitors and will not hesitate to take decisive and necessary legal steps against the perpetrators.
But, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha on Tuesday while inaugurating committees on the Presidential Transition Council, assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari will not spend an extra day in office at the end of his tenure.
”The transition process is on the course, and all efforts are being made to ensure that it is smooth, and on May 29, there will be a peaceful, formal transfer of power to the President-Elect.”
However, the DSS’s statement came after the assurance by SGF, and this has raised severe worries and further heated the polity.
NewsDirect writes in this editorial that it is unthinkable that an Interim Government would be forced on Nigeria after a democratically elected government.
Nigeria has not burnt since the announcement of Tinubu as president-elect, they should bury any plans for Interim Government.Nigerians must stand up against such unconstitutional tendencies. Nigeria is not a banana republic where anything goes, but a country governed by the tenets of the rule of law.
Nigerians must not allow the repeat of June 12, which led to the annulment of MKO Abiola’s election victory in 1993; this should be a chorus for every Nigerian who desires unity, peace and progress.
The issue of Interim Government should belong to the trash bin and not to be allowed in any form in Nigeria. Nigerians must put sentiments and political bias aside and condemn any form of Interim Government, imagined or planned.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his men must act rather than mere pronouncements to smoothly transfer power to Tinubu the Presient-elect for peace and unity of Nigeria.
