Interim Govt Treasonable, Says Jonathan

ABUJA—President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed the idea of an Interim Government being insinuated by some people saying that such utterances amount to treason.

 

Speaking, yesterday, at the first 2015 plenary session of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), in Abuja, President Jonathan reiterated that the re-scheduled elections will hold on March 28 and April 11 as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Catholic Arch Bishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan on his part urged the president to call his supporters to order in their hate speeches and campaigns.

President Jonathan said that having been elected with clear mandate of the people, there was no way he would push for an interim government, assuring that his personal ambition will never supersede the interest of the nation.

According to him: “Interim government is not known to the Nigerian constitution. I don’t have powers to redefine our constitution.

“There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, who was elected by the people with a clear mandate, will now go and head an interim government without a mandate.

“The only interim government that anybody can contemplate is a military government which, of course, will not be accepted.

“ECOWAS will not accept it, that is why we forced Burkina Faso to take the decision they took; AU will not accept it, the UN will not accept it and Nigerians will not in this present generation accept it.

“So any insinuation about interim government is treasonable and people should not talk about it. Elections will be conducted as scheduled by INEC,” he said.

He argued that Nigeria has had its unfair share of insecurity which also led to the postponement of the election but there was no going back on the new dates.

The president, who expressed worry over some media reports, especially on the social media, stressed that the nation must remain stable.

“The kind of statements we read in the media, especially in the social media, sometimes are worrisome. Is Nigeria going up in flames? But I am convinced that this country will continue to be stable,” he said, adding that the elections were postponed due to issues of insecurity and reaffirmed his commitment to the new dates.