A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has frowned at the plan of some Nigerians asking the federal government to set up an interim government instead of handing it over to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
The group warned those criticising the outcome of the 2023 general elections to desist from the such act because their action is capable of truncating Nigeria’s democracy.
The coalition reminded Nigerians that the democracy the country is enjoying today was not got on a platter of gold and that some Nigerians laid down their lives for it, while others suffered one form of deformation or the other because of the struggle.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the convener of the coalition, Rasaq Olokoba said, “It is to the credit of these patriots and many more persons of like minds and interest, that they were able to galvanize the society for good governance and democracy in their lifetime and thus played critical roles in terminating military dictatorship in Nigeria. Their heroic stance and actions are well acknowledged and receipted by history.”
Olokoba noted that characters who lack a proper understanding of democracy and its values and are not ready to learn because they have obstinately refused to imbibe the tenets of democracy which is about the will of the majority over the minority as expressed by all Nigerians who came out to vote at the polls.
He explained that following the fair, successful and credible conduct of the 2023 general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whom the coalition commended for the marvellous work it has done despite all the landmines laid in its path, it has watched with bated breath and shock, how some characters are plotting to truncate the hard-earned democracy at all costs through treasonable and subversive calls for the installation of an interim government.
“These unpatriotic elements have resorted to fake news, hate speech, lies, falsehood, misinformation and campaign of blackmail and calumny against all known national institutions with a view to arm twisting and blackmailing them to toe their ignoble and undemocratic line. Wickedly of them, their sinister and unpatriotic actions have caused threats to the lives of Nigerians because their party and candidate lost an election.
“If we all recall, while INEC was busy with the collation of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections results, two bitter and sore losers presidential candidates and members of their political parties have seen the handwriting of defeat on the wall through their manually collated party agents results from the polling units to the wards, local government levels and state collation centres, started calling for the cancellation of the presidential election midway citing irregularity of non-uploading of the results to the IRev by INEC.
“And sadly, this irresponsible, insensitive, reckless, provocative and treasonable call was echoed by a former President of Nigeria whose place is cemented in our political history as the progenitor of do-or-die politics, who supervised the most scandalous elections in our national life.”
