President Goodluck Jonathan
yesterday warned that talks about interim national government was alien
to the Nigerian constitution and amounted to treason.
However, the Catholic Archibishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, admonished the president to warn his supporters to stop poisoning his resolve and declarations that elections will hold on March 28 and April 11 as rescheduled, and that the handover date of May 29 remained sacrosanct.
Jonathan made this comment at the opening mass for the plenary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki, Abuja.
He pointed out that there was no way he, a democratically election president, would support an interim government.
He said, “There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, elected by people with clear mandate, will now go and head interim government. The only interim government anybody can constitute is that of the military government, which, of course, will not be accepted: ECOWAS, AU, UN won’t accept it. And Nigeria will not be a pariah state. Clearly, the insinuation of interim government, to me, is treasonable.”
The presidency had recently accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some other individuals from within and outside the country of allegedly plotting to scuttle the current political programme in order to impose an interim national government on Nigeria, to be purportedly headed by him.
Accusing Obasanjo of trying to return to power through the back door, Jonathan, who spoke through his special adviser on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had noted in the statement that “indeed, it is not President Jonathan, who remains faithful to his oath of office, who is trying to plunge Nigeria into crisis, but Chief Obasanjo who is scheming to plunge the country into chaos in pursuit of a selfish and highly egocentric agenda.
But yesterday, Jonathan said that interim government could only be formed by the military, but even at that it will not be acceptable to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
Noting that his personal ambition will never supersede the interest of the nation, the president reiterated his position that elections will hold on March 28 and April 11 as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He again condemned utterances that are overheating the polity, portraying the country as going up in flames anytime soon in the media, particularly the social media, and expressed the belief that Nigeria will overcome her challenges.
The president further noted that the postponement of the general elections had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he shudders anytime he recollects the casualty figure of the attack on Gombe State on February 14, the initial day of the election.
He said: “Look at what happened in Gombe on February 14; if the elections had been held, the casualty figure after that attack in Gombe would have been great. It is better for us to conduct elections that will not be contested, elections that are credible, free and fair.
“We believe no criminal element can come and prevent us from conducting our elections. I will not do anything because of personal interest that would jeopardize the interest of this nation. God is supreme; this nation will survive”.
He thanked the Christian community for their prayers for the country, adding that the whole world was horrified by the scale of destruction caused by terrorist groups like the Boko Haram sect.
On his part, Onaiyekan urged the president to call his supporters to order in respect to the manner in which they poison his good intentions.
He expressed dismay over the rivalry among political parties, even as he enjoined them not to forget national priorities and justice.
He said, “The nation will nevertheless be better served if we use the unexpected extra time to work for better outcome in our elections. Can we spend the time left to change attitudes, repair broken relationships and build trust?
“For example, Mr. President has declared publicly that he is committed to a free and fair election. While we believe him, we hope that he will not allow any of his supporters to poison this his holy resolve.”
However, the Catholic Archibishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, admonished the president to warn his supporters to stop poisoning his resolve and declarations that elections will hold on March 28 and April 11 as rescheduled, and that the handover date of May 29 remained sacrosanct.
Jonathan made this comment at the opening mass for the plenary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki, Abuja.
He pointed out that there was no way he, a democratically election president, would support an interim government.
He said, “There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, elected by people with clear mandate, will now go and head interim government. The only interim government anybody can constitute is that of the military government, which, of course, will not be accepted: ECOWAS, AU, UN won’t accept it. And Nigeria will not be a pariah state. Clearly, the insinuation of interim government, to me, is treasonable.”
The presidency had recently accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some other individuals from within and outside the country of allegedly plotting to scuttle the current political programme in order to impose an interim national government on Nigeria, to be purportedly headed by him.
Accusing Obasanjo of trying to return to power through the back door, Jonathan, who spoke through his special adviser on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had noted in the statement that “indeed, it is not President Jonathan, who remains faithful to his oath of office, who is trying to plunge Nigeria into crisis, but Chief Obasanjo who is scheming to plunge the country into chaos in pursuit of a selfish and highly egocentric agenda.
But yesterday, Jonathan said that interim government could only be formed by the military, but even at that it will not be acceptable to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
Noting that his personal ambition will never supersede the interest of the nation, the president reiterated his position that elections will hold on March 28 and April 11 as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He again condemned utterances that are overheating the polity, portraying the country as going up in flames anytime soon in the media, particularly the social media, and expressed the belief that Nigeria will overcome her challenges.
The president further noted that the postponement of the general elections had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he shudders anytime he recollects the casualty figure of the attack on Gombe State on February 14, the initial day of the election.
He said: “Look at what happened in Gombe on February 14; if the elections had been held, the casualty figure after that attack in Gombe would have been great. It is better for us to conduct elections that will not be contested, elections that are credible, free and fair.
“We believe no criminal element can come and prevent us from conducting our elections. I will not do anything because of personal interest that would jeopardize the interest of this nation. God is supreme; this nation will survive”.
He thanked the Christian community for their prayers for the country, adding that the whole world was horrified by the scale of destruction caused by terrorist groups like the Boko Haram sect.
On his part, Onaiyekan urged the president to call his supporters to order in respect to the manner in which they poison his good intentions.
He expressed dismay over the rivalry among political parties, even as he enjoined them not to forget national priorities and justice.
He said, “The nation will nevertheless be better served if we use the unexpected extra time to work for better outcome in our elections. Can we spend the time left to change attitudes, repair broken relationships and build trust?
“For example, Mr. President has declared publicly that he is committed to a free and fair election. While we believe him, we hope that he will not allow any of his supporters to poison this his holy resolve.”
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