By Solomon Idachaba
It is possible that those who are calling for an interim national government are suffering from a more fundamental illness, as evidenced by the absurd proposal for such a government, which is currently being supported by a number of individuals and organizations. There is not the slightest shred of a shadow of a doubt in anyone’s mind that such individuals are nothing more than hopeless and pitiful miscreants trying to clutch at straws in a last ditch effort to realize their irrational aspiration of seizing power. The illusions of installing a caretaker government are, in fact, their only hope of satisfying their evil, self-centered, and dishonorable interests. They are like men who are drowning in their own hopes. Given that a continuous democratic form of government has been in place in Nigeria for the better part of the last two decades, these pointless calls for an interim government in that country have no justification whatsoever.
In point of fact, the nation has just finished successfully carrying out its seasonal elections, from which a new government was lawfully elected and will be sworn into office on the 29th of May, 2023. Not only that, but the current security climate has remained relatively calm, and normalcy has returned to the city as evidenced by the citizens going about their daily activities. Negative thinkers are the only ones making a spectacle of themselves.
On what grounds, then, are the despicable agitations for an interim national Government taking place? On what foundation ought to it be based when it is formed? Is there currently a crisis situation in Nigeria? Are there any urgent or chaotic situations that we need to deal with? Is there a general sense of instability or is there an uptick in the number of violent incidents across the nation? The response to that question is “NO!” It is crystal clear that these psychotic agitators of a government that could threaten the existence of the country are acutely diseased by malaria and its accompanying symptoms of a high fever, thereby blindsiding their thought processes. This could put the country in jeopardy of not existing at all. If that weren’t the case, those people asking for it would have understood what it meant. Even the conditions that once necessitated Nigeria’s existence are no longer taken into consideration. It is abundantly clear that our statutes do not provide any basis for justifying this practice.
Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the tradition of transitioning from one government to another has been consistent and ceremonial every May 29. This date also marks the anniversary of the country’s return to democratic rule. Curiously, these unwarranted palpitations for interim government started prior to the general elections in 2023, which seems to indicate that they were initiated by those who had calculated their chances of winning the elections and were certain of a resounding defeat in those elections.
When people out of the blue, like Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), in the last quarter of 2022 called for an interim government after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, the first thing that came to mind was that the “elder statesman,” who was 93 years old at the time, was daydreaming.
The sentiments upon which an ING is premised or perceived do not even have a chance of being valid in the eyes of Babalola and his other unstated cohorts. Every one of the irrational justifications is out of date. In order to advance their agenda after the general election and following their catastrophic loss at the polls, which, of course, was in line with their earlier predictions of failing at the polls, they collaborated with subversive groups and dubious interests; as a result, there has been recent and growing pressure to install an interim government. Once more, I must inquire, on what grounds are you basing this?
One thing that is abundantly clear is that those who are drumming up support for an interim national government are dead set on stifling our cherished democracy and rolling back the advancements and growth that we have made as a nation over the course of the previous 24 years. These individuals who are afflicted with malaria and are advocating for such a measure need to realize that the ill-advised choice they are proposing is not the magic bullet that will solve all of Nigeria’s problems. method for dealing with those concerns. Our fundamental issues cannot possibly be resolved by a transitional government in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, these adversaries of Nigeria, its peace and stability, and its progress are ignorant of these things.
The so-called outcry for an interim government is undeniably a ploy to seize power on the part of political elites, career politicians who have been defeated, and agents of destabilization. It is not an exaggeration to say that the individuals in question are not interested in finding solutions to the issues that are currently confronting the nation but are, rather, more concerned with securing political and economic influence in addition to other personal gains. However, these pointless efforts are contributing nothing but a lost cause to the cause overall. The people of Nigeria have exercised their right to vote, and the results of the election have determined who will succeed Goodluck Jonathan as President of their country on May 29. This peaceful transition will not be halted or prevented in any way, no matter how many threats, shenanigans, or propaganda campaigns are enacted.
President Buhari has given resounding assurances, contrary to the lies and half-truths that are being spread by those who profit off of spreading fake news, that he will, in fact, hand over power to the newly elected President. Those who peddle fake news and spread baseless conspiracy theories around the inevitable transfer of power on democracy day are doing nothing more than beating a dead horse. Their scheme is doomed to failure, and they should prepare themselves for humiliating setbacks instead. Those individuals who feel wronged by the results of the general elections in 2023 have been encouraged to seek legal redress by the country’s electoral umpire. In addition to this, they are currently doing it.
It defies logic to think that they would choose to be out in public and in the court system at the same time. Give them the option of choosing one. If they choose to live on the streets and display recalcitrance, they should be dealt with as dissenters and criminals. However, if they are already in the court system, justice should be carried out against them. During this period of time, let us all remember to exercise patience, comply with the law, and conduct ourselves in a manner that is appropriate. Those people who are peddling an impossible and pointless interim government ought to take the full dose of their medication in order to get better and be cured of their malaria infection.
Idachaba, a resident of Makurdi, Benue State, is the author of this piece.
