Some members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday asked for the rationale behind the decision of Department of State Security (DSS) not inviting former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Datti Ahmed and a prominent Lawyer over alleged call for an interim government in the country.
The House had reached a resolution passed after debate on a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Hon. Unyime Idem. The lower chamber condemned in strong terms the calls for an interim government.
The call for the arrest and prosecution of some of the Nigerians involved in calling for an interim government was championed by: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Sa’ad Abubakar; Hon. Kuye Ademorin and Hon. Sada Soli.
In his lead debate, Hon. Idem whole frowned at the development, noted that the interim government is undemocratic and unknown to extant laws in the country.
He observed that Part I, Section 132 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) “allows for change of leadership through the ballots.
“The House is further aware that the constitution allows for a four year tenure of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after each election cycle.
“The House notes that interim government is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and unknown to our laws as a court of competent jurisdiction had in time past so declare.
“The House further notes that on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, the State Security Service issued a warning on some individuals who are allegedly plotting to install an interim Government in Nigeria.
“The House is worried that if the plots are allowed to see the light of the day, it will result in anarchy, with a price many generations after us will continue to pay for.
“The House is aware further that the Judiciary is the only institution empowered by law to adjudicate over post election matters.
“The House is saddened that if this development is left unchecked, we might be sliding into irredeemable anarchy,” he noted.
While speaking in support of the motion, Hon. Sa’ad Abubakar alleged that the ‘Undemocratic Forces’ calling for an Interim Government are trying to truncate the nation’s democracy, especially for calling for non-inauguration of President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom he argued was validly elected.
He said: “It is on record that one of the Vice Presidential Candidates was on air asking that the President-elect should not be inaugurated.
“So, if we have this kind of character in this country calling for the validly elected President of this country, I don’t know how somebody will come and say that it is mere speculation.
“It is never a speculation. Department of State Security came out and gave us a number of advisories. The Department of State Security should name them so that they can be punished,” he urged.
While expressing his view, Hon. Kuye Ademorin, who recalled how the 1993 Presidential election was truncated and the interim Government was put in place following a Court Order which scuttled the whole process, maintained that history may repeat itself if necessary precautions are not put in place.
He said: “Before the security agencies came up with the report, erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo condemned the 2023 election asking Mr. President to find a way of canceling without going to Court.
“He should have allowed the process to be concluded. It ends with litigation which ends at the Supreme Court. Since then, one would have expected the Security Agencies to have invited that General to come and explain what he meant.
“But of course, may be they are still doing their work. We have funded them well and we believe them,” he noted.
While stressing the need to thoroughly investigate the call an Interim Government, Hon. Ademorin said: “people sponsoring protesters to come to the National Assembly to attack Parliamentarians, the bastion of democracy to come.and attack members for defending this democracy.
“People go to the Defence headquarters calling on military personnel to come and take over the government and nothing has been done to them.
“This is one motion that is timely, that we must discuss, we must not even stop at our resolution. A commission should be set up to investigate this matter and come to a conclusion”, adding that “some people are there in the US Congress in America as we are talking, calling on American Government to intervene and make sure that this election does not stand,” he lamented.
On his part, Hon. Sada Soli who expressed solidarity with the sponsor of the motion, argued that the DSS is saddled with the responsibility of protecting Nigerian State “against domestic threat within the country, irrespective of scope.
“Our committee on National security should have briefed us behind closed door, we shouldn’t have been talking about this here because it’s a national security issue.
“But since it has been brought on the floor, it’s timely because it affects Nigerians that we represent in this chamber.”
“In this country, one of the renowned Lawyers in this country was the first person whom his view cannot be washed away,was the first person who muted about this Interim Government.
“He’s a lawyer of reckon he’s somebody that we must not push away his weight when he speaks in this country.
“So, this issue has been going round in different circles from those who have lost out. Nigerians have the characteristics when they lose out they want things taken back into the melting pot so that everybody would put his spoon and…. This will not happen. Every member of this country, every member of this country involved in democratic practice must fight this because it will take us two and half decades back,” he noted.
However, some ranking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, namely: Hon. Sergius Ogun and Chairman, House Committee on Committee on Treaties, Protocols and
Agreement, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai berated the Security Agencies for speculating without unveiling the identities of those allegedly behind the call for an Interim Government.
To this end, the House warned all the aggrieved parties to desist from heating the polity and believe in the rule of law while awaiting the outcome of litigation before the court of law.
