Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, expressed hope that nothing would stop the conduct of the general elections scheduled for February 25 and March 11. Obasanjo spoke while hosting the members of the Board of Trustees of the African Democratic Congress at his penthouse residence located within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
Obasanjo spoke against the backdrop of the concerns by many Nigerians that the election might be postponed following the growing hardship and protests created by the naira and fuel scarcity. The former President said the attention of the global community had shifted to Nigeria’s election and therefore Nigerians as main stakeholders should contribute towards the success of the elections.
The former President’s anxiety came at a time when the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleged last week that there were subterranean forces working behind-the-scenes to disrupt the 2023 general elections in a bid to impose an Interim Government on Nigeria. “They want to provoke you to violence, so that the election will be disrupted and postponed, and they can cunningly introduce an Interim Government, that’s their plot,” Tinubu said at his campaign rally in Ekiti State.
“AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE CALL ON BOTH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS ARE HELD AS SCHEDULED”
Although Tinubu did not mention names or elaborate on how this scheme would work, coming from the candidate of the ruling party at the centre, such a weighty allegation is enough to warn Nigerians against any attempt to scuttle the presidential election slated for February 25. There have been unverified claims that some fifth columnists are frantically seeking the postponement of the 2023 general elections. The idea of an Interim National Government was a contraption introduced into Nigeria’s politics and governance by the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida when in August 1993, having annulled the general elections of June 12, 1993, presumably won by the late philanthropist, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, he foisted the late Ernest Adegunle Shonekan on Nigerians as the head of the Interim National Government.
The Interim National Government lasted less than 90 days from August 27, 1993 to November 17, 1993, when it was dissolved by the late General Sani Abacha. At this juncture, we call on both the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the 2023 general elections are held as scheduled. We also call on all Nigerians to ensure that INEC’s integrity and competence is protected in order to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
Candidates and their supporters should recognize that all Nigerians look forward to this election as being the one that will produce a leadership that will make a difference between further decline and sustainable greatness. Nigerians expect a decent contest, a credible election and a peaceful transition to great leadership from all three arms of government.
Losers should accept defeat or seek redress in court. At all costs, the elections must be held, and we must avoid throwing the country into crises over the elections. All Nigerians who have registered should be availed the opportunities to vote. These include allowing those who are legally registered to collect their PVCs, and improving the security environment so that it does not disenfranchise voters on Election Day.
We must remind the judiciary that it has a vital role to play in improving the quality of our democratic process, and this election will provide it with an opportunity to exercise its responsibility with the highest level of integrity and impartiality.
Government should take steps to relieve the citizens of the severe difficulties under which they live at the moment. This will greatly improve the atmosphere under which the elections will be held. It is gratifying to note that the National Universities Commission has directed the Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities to close universities during the upcoming 2023 elections.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, following extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, has directed that all Universities and Inter University Centres be shut down and academic activities be suspended between February 22 and March 14, 2023. Students in tertiary institutions represent a critical segment in the entrenchment of our democracy and it is cheerful that the Federal Government has allowed them the time and opportunities to vote in the elections.
Nigerians also received good news on Thursday when President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of a 22-member Presidential Transition Council to ensure a smooth handover after the election of a new president later in the year. The council will be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
Also, the candidate who wins the 2023 presidential election will nominate two representatives to the council. The Transition Council will be inaugurated by Mustapha on Tuesday, February 14. President Buhari also signed Executive Order No. 14 of 2023 for the facilitation and management of presidential transitions.
A key feature of the Presidential Executive Order No. 14 of 2023 is the institutionalization of a legal framework that would enable a seamless transition of power from one presidential administration to another which is part of President Buhari’s legacy.
Politicians should recognize that the elections are about the citizen’s right to freely exercise choices, and not just about the ambitions of the contestants. For the new government to enjoy legitimacy and general support from the citizens, among other things, there must be an emphasis on ensuring credible elections.
Irrespective of who wins the election, the new President will take over a sharply divided nation along regional, religious, and tribal lines with huge security issues. Consequently, the new government must immediately focus on the reconciliation of national grievances and strengthening accountability and removal of impunity from governance. Whatever the genuine reasons canvassed by those demanding for an Interim National Government, the idea appears unrealistic. It may be tantamount to the deployment of extra-constitutional means.
We urge those behind the plot to perish the idea or discussions of setting up an Interim National Government because it does not have any place whatsoever in the 1999 Constitution of the country as amended.
