Security experts and politicians in the country have warned against a repeat of the June 12 crisis in 1993.
They were reacting to the confirmation by the Department of State Service (DSS) yesterday that some misguided politicians were planning to truncate Nigeria’s democracy and install an interim government.
According to the DSS, there was plot for an interim government in Nigeria and some key players in the plot have been identified.
The motive of proponents of an interim government, it was learnt, is to stop the transition of power from President Muhammadu Buhari to President-elect Bola Tinubu, who was recently declared winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The DSS has, however, described such talk as an illegality that is totally unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace loving Nigerians.
The spokesperson of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya said the Service considers the plot, being pursued by 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.
He said: “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.”
He further stated that “another (plot) is to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the federal and state levels.”
While warning those involved to stop desist from their plans, Afunanya said: “The DSS supports the president and commander-in-chief in his avowed commitment to a hitch-free handover and will assiduously work in this direction.”
The Service, he said, supports the presidential transition council and such other related bodies in the states, and will collaborate with them and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure seamless inaugurations on 29th May, 2023.
Consequently, the Service strongly warned those plotting to hinder 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,” he said.
Reacting, a United Kingdom based security expert, Bulama Bukarti warned against throwing the country into another June 12 crisis, following the confirmation by the DSS that some misguided politicians were planning to install an interim government.
Bukarti said any form of government other than an elected government, is illegal and unconstitutional and should be resisted.
He called on the DSS and other relevant security agencies in the country to nib the plan in the bud, and bring the plotters to book.
He equally urged judicial officers to issue ex-parte orders judiciously in the overall interest of the country, recalling how such court orders contributed to the annulment of June 12 presidential election in 1993.
Name, Arrest `Culprits – IPAC
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani has challenged the Service to name and arrest those plotting Interim Government.
Yabagi made this call last night during a Channels Television interview in Abuja yesterday.
He said, “The sensible thing to do, or the lawful thing to do – is to take the person to their custody, ask him or her questions, but for DSS to make this kind of pronouncement is to further create some kind of tension or crisis. It looks as if we are not in control of the situation. I’m not saying you should not lock anybody, but do not just lock somebody. It may serve as a deterrent to others if you do the right thing.
“The law enforcement agency should demonstrate that nobody is above the law. You know, if you start arresting opposition politicians, it will send a signal that, maybe, it is witch hunting. Look at what happened in the USA on January 6 when Trump wanted to interfere with the process of inauguration of President Joe Biden; something happened and they took action.
“So, I believe that in as much as we commend the effort of the DSS, I think they should go beyond that because, as citizens, what can we do? This democracy is too precious and if there is anybody that should protect it and then advance democracy, it is the agencies that are put in place that can advance democracy. The police, DSS and even the presidency have a role to play because the agencies that we are talking about are under the presidency. Perhaps, the time has come for Mr President to say something. Answering a question as to why such a concern should be coming up at this point in time, he said it may have to do with the disappointment of certain persons in the coHowever, security experts have described as a bluff plans by misguided politicians to install an interim government thereby truncating democracy after the 2023 general elections.
A public and private security analyst and trainer, Banjo Daniel, said it was impossible to install any interim government unless the court says so, or there was a coup d’état.
He said there was no justification for such a move.
“It is impossible to install an interim government unless the court says so. That is the only way you cannot install an interim government. It is absolutely impossible because INEC has declared a winner and losers have gone to court, and from all indications, I don’t see the court condemning the elections because there is no justification”.
He urged the DSS to instead go after those involved in the said plot and prosecute them.
“They are not supposed to talk; they are supposed to quell whatever they have been able to uncover covertly. What plot are they talking about? Will there be a coup? It is either a coup or court that can stop the swearing in,” he said.
Another security practitioner, Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, who is the secretary-general, International Institute of professional Security (IIPS), said those contemplating an interim government should be subjected to summary execution.
“Anybody thinking otherwise or trying to truncate democracy that we all paid heavy price to sustain and keep in check against military incursion, such a person should be given summary execution,” he said.
He said there had been speculation about interim government but that the DSS was equal to the task and would quell such a move.
According to him, a government has been elected by the Nigerian people on popular mandate and should not be disturbed.
“Election has come and gone, a winner has emerged and Nigeria will continue to survive despite all odds,” he added.
They’re Enemies Of Nigeria – Sen Adeyeye
Also, the national coordinator of South West Agenda for Asiwaju, Sen Adedayo Adeyeye, has described those calling for the constitution of an Interim National Government (ING) as “enemies of Nigeria.”
Senator Adeyeye said: “Even before the primaries, they have been planning for an Interim National Government. Part of their plan was that even after the primaries, they wanted to ensure there was no election; they wanted to cause a crisis.
“And you know, a lot of things were done to cause the crisis. So, their cry for the Interim National Government did not just start today.”
We’ll Not Accept Any Undemocratic Government – PDP
On his part, the national publicity secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Debo Ologunagba, said Nigerians will not accept any undemocratic government in the guise of an interim national government.
Ologunagba recalled that PDP had warned Nigerians earlier about an interim government plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and said moves to have a third term will be resisted.
He said calls for an interim government is “completely unacceptable to our party and to Nigerians. We can never be part of it. We are a democratic party and we had moved against it before and we will move against it again. We will move against any plot to have a third term by other means by the ruling party.”
Also, the coalition of civil society organisations had in Lagos frowned at some Nigerians clamouring for the setting up interim government, instead of handing over to power to president-elect, Tinubu, come May 29, 2023. They warned those criticising the outcome of 2023 general elections to desist from such act as such was capable of truncating the country’s democracy.
The coalition reminded Nigerians that the democracy the country was enjoying now was not gotten on a platter of gold, saying that some citizens laid down their lives for it, while others suffered one form of deformation or the other during the struggle and, as such, should be guarded jealousy.
The convener of the coalition, Comrade Rasaq Olokoba, in the company of Comrade Nelson Ekujumi of the Committee for Defence of People’s Mandate (CDPM), Titi Akosa of Centre for 21st Century Issues and others, said the body, to the credit of those who died in the democratic struggle, was appealing to those behind the anti- democratic tendencies being promoted to have a rethink.
Idea Senseless, Says Shehu Sani
Weighing in on the issue, Kaduna State politician, Senator Shehu Sani, described any idea of interim national government as nonsensical and senseless. The also said.
Sani, in a post shared via Twitter, said: “Interim National Government is nonsensical.”
Also, some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have corroborated IPAC’s position, saying it is undemocratic for anyone to ask for an interim government.
The CSOs that spoke to LEADERSHIP said the election had taken place and that anyone who is aggrieved at the results should go to court with their evidence.
The CSOs are the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, they said the idea of interim government should not be encouraged in Nigeria.
“We know that the election took place and some people are determined to go to court to challenge election results. But this aspect of people going to court to ask for an interim government is not within the context of the election. It’s not democracy. If people are having grievances, they have the right to go to court.
“The Interim Government should not be encouraged because it will not bring peace. Anyone that believes he won the election should go to court and present his or her evidence, but for some people to be clamouring for an interim government is unconstitutional and undemocratic.”
He urged the DSS to go ahead and arrest the culprits.
It’s Treason, FG And DSS Should Do Their Jobs – Kokori
Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, a former secretary general of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Worker (NUPENG), who was in the forefront in the actualisation of the annulled June 12 mandate, said such a thought should not be entertained at all.
He said: ‘’We had an election and somebody has emerged as the winner, and we are waiting for the swearing in, so if anybody is planning anything otherwise, it is treason, and it should be handled like that. There are laws in the country.
‘’The aggrieved politicians have gone to court. I am a hero of democracy. We have the DSS, we don’t have to teach them how to do their job. I am a hero of the democratic struggle, we know what we went through to remove the military from there. If the military comes in, you can’t remove them. I don’t see the Nigeria of today removing the military. I think the DSS should do their job, the sitting government should do their job.”
