We’ll never allow interim govt again in Nigeria -SWAGA

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By Olugbenga Salami

A leading support group for the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency, the South West Agenda for Asiwaju, SWAGA, has vowed that never again will the installation of Interim National Government, ING be allowed in the country after 24 years of democratic rule.

National Coordinator of SWAGA, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said those who fought for the enthronement of democracy under the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO will not allow it, explaining that the present situation is different from that of June 12, 1993 presidential election when the results were not fully declared.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has since declared Tinubu the winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election and issued with the certificate of return while he, along with the vice president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, would be sworn-in on May 29 in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Adeyeye, who is a fory Minister of State for Works, cautioned those calling for an interim government as a way of placating the grievances of some politicians following their loss in the presidential election, saying such calls were geared towards possible anarchy.

While urging all Nigerians to resist the move, he said that in every election there must be a winner and loser, and that Nigerian politicians must develop the spirit of sportsmanship in their electoral contests rather than threatening national peace and unity.

He said: “I am not saying the elections are perfect, but from the point of view of INEC and point of view of any objective Nigerian, these elections are very good and transparent making it the best ever to be conducted since 1999.

“I want to appeal to all Nigerians to disregard the noise making of these people who want to create anarchy and that Nigerians should begin to reason and desist from fake prophets.

“I saw a video and I think this is what is propelling the so-called ‘Obidients’. A fake pastor was saying that yes, Tinubu will be declared but he would not be sworn in. And an interim government would be formed and the government will give it to Peter Obi.

“And I, Adeyeye will be a citizen of this country and allow that to happen? It is not going to happen. We will join forces with others to oppose it.”

According to the former lawmaker, any attempt to install ING is capable of destroying the country and tear it apart.

“You want to destroy the country, you want to tear it apart and say bye bye to Nigeria? Some of us who are patriotic citizens of this country will not allow that.

“Would I have voted my candidate and he emerged and he was declared and you will now say no, you are looking for an interim government? On what ground are you looking for that?

“What will be the legitimacy of that interim government? Who voted the interim government and who constitutes the interim government? On what mandate will the interim government will be constituted and who and who will be members? These are the big questions to ask.

“Millions of Nigerians have exercised their civil rights and a winner has emerged. Well, you may not the person. That’s the beauty of democracy.

“I want to say that interim government will never happen again in this country. Some of us who fought for NADECO will not allow it. In the case of June 12, 1993, the results were not even declared.

“But in this case, the results have been declared, we have a President-elect. May 29 is around the corner and a new president would be sworn in. Anything short of that means you are asking for Nigeria to come to an end. Therefore, those calling for interim government should go and bury the thought. It will never happen.

“Elections are over now and I have been waiting for the past four weeks for any of the opposition political parties to come out with their own version of results apart from what INEC uploaded, nobody has come up with anything other than shouting that they’ve been rigged.

“That’s the proof of rigging. Yes, you can say from our agents these are the numbers of votes given to us by our agents and these are the figures uploaded by INEC. We’ve not seen such claim by anyone yet.

“Instead, they’ve been spreading hatred, trying to create anarchy and cast aspersions on the integrity of the INEC officials. They have been creating impressions not only within the country but in the international community that the election was anything but free, fair and transparent, without any proof, without any evidence and any alternative results they can present anywhere.”