A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, says there is no provision for an interim government in the country’s Constitution.
Agbakoba’s comments come a day after the Department of State Services (DSS) alerted the nation to plots by some political actors to bring an interim government into power and stop Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being inaugurated as Nigeria’s president.
The DSS said the plot includes embarking on violent protests nationwide to engineer the declaration of a state of emergency as well as securing frivolous court injunctions to stall the inauguration.
Reacting, in a statement issued yesterday, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said “the gravest possible consequences must be applied” to those allegedly behind the plot for their treasonable intent. According to him, the “secret plans” must be rejected by all Nigerians.
He said parties aggrieved by the presidential election should approach the courts for possible redress.
Speaking further on the development, the Senior Lawyer said though the general elections might have held under the most challenging circumstance, still, a president-elect has emerged and this fact he says must be respected and accepted.
The SAN called on all Nigerians to reject the alleged move which he termed as “nonsense” adding that citizens must respect the nation’s Constitution, “which has no provision for interim arrangements”.
He added that if the presidential candidates have accepted the democratic process by lodging petitions before the courts, then it is very difficult to understand upon what basis anyone considers that an interim government is a viable and legal alternative.
