Nigerian military warns against interim govt, says proponents mischievous

But speaking to journalists on Thursday, Mr Danmadami said the proponents of such agitation should immediately stop the idea.

Tosin Ajuwon • April 6, 2023

The Nigerian military hierarchy has described agitations for an interim national government, after the outcome of the nation’s general elections, as unconstitutional.

“All of us know that the constitution does not provide for an interim national government and that is the point the Presidency has been hammering on, and that is our stand because that is what the constitution says, it is unconstitutional. So, anything unconstitutional as far as I’m concerned is not applicable,” Musa Danmadami, the Director, Defence Media Operations, said in Abuja.

Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC’s Bola Tinubu winner of the February 25 presidential election, there had been calls for an interim government in the country.

Mr Tinubu, is expected to take over from Muhammadu Buhari, by May 29, 2023, when he would take the oath of office.

However, some Nigerians have been seeking to stop Mr Tinubu’s inauguration by agitating that Mr Buhari put in place an interim government.

Their agitation was that the election that produced Mr Tinubu, a two-term governor of Lagos, was flawed.

But speaking to journalists on Thursday, Mr Danmadami said the proponents of such agitation should immediately stop the idea.

He particularly noted that those plotting interim government are “mischievous”, stressing that the military was ready to clamp down on those planning to sabotage the effort of the government.

“But I know that several calls have been made from the Presidency that there is nothing like an interim national government. So, I think people were just trying to be mischievous,” Mr Danmadami added.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna had during the scarcity of naira and petrol claimed there are plots to ensure that the 2023 elections do not hold at all, “leading to an interim national government to be led by a retired army general”.

But in swift response, the Buhari’s regime denied the allegation, saying there was no time it works towards having any interim government.

In a statement titled “Stop the Joke About Interim Government, Election Will Hold”, issued by the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said Mr Buhari never made any move to truncate the nation’s democratic process.

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