… Charges judiciary to resist being used to scuttle democracy
Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, has warned against plots to jeopardise the handing over of power to elected officers on May 29, 2023.
It also cautioned against threat to democracy and calls by some people to institute Interim National Government (ING) in the country.
Comrade Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere in a press statement on Monday, stressed that the release had become necessary considering reports that steps are being taken that may be prejudicial to the swearing-in of winners of the just concluded elections on May 29th.
The organisation stated, “Such steps included the attempts to rubbish the outcome of the said elections especially the presidential election that took place on February 25th, the resuscitation of calls for the formation of an ING and protests or rallies being conducted especially in Abuja and the United States of America against the result of the said election.
“Afenifere felt so concerned about the untoward development because of how it is gaining momentun in the country and even outside the shores of the land.
It added, “It would be recalled that the Department of State Services (DSS) last week confirmed that moves were indeed on to scuttle the planned inauguration.
“The DSS, stated as follows: “The planners, in their many meetings, have weighed various options, which include, among others, to sponsor endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of a State of Emergency.
“Another is to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels”.
“The DSS, which is the country’s secret police, described those behind the move as people with ‘entrenched interests’ who are working on foisting an illegality that is “totally unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace loving Nigerians,” Afenifere added.
Afenifere reminded those who are fanning embers’ of non-inauguration to be aware that the monster being courted would affect not only the presidency to be headed by the winner of the election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“The disruption will affect all other tiers of government as well, governors at the state level, the legislatures at the national and state levels and perhaps the local government areas.
“There is therefore a need to exercise a lot of caution. The laws of the land created avenues to seek redress when we are aggrieved. We enjoin those who may not be satisfied with the outcome of the concluded elections to seek redress through the established channels and not through any other means.
“It is also important to let members of the public realise that anything short of following due process, particularly in the swearing-in of winners of the just concluded elections, constitutes grave dangers for the country. This must not be accepted or encouraged at all because of its dire consequences” Afenifere stated.
Afenifere also called on the judiciary not to entertain cases that may derail the hard-earned civil rule and thus scuttle democracy.
“The legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola earlier last year mooted the idea of an Interim Government. It can be recalled that he did so at that time largely due to the extent to which insecurity has gone in the country and the depth of uncertainty that was prevalent in the land.
According to the socio-political organisation, the successful conclusion of a general election this year has provided the country another opportunity to re-invent itself.
“We believe that the government that will be formed at the expiration of President Mohammadu Buhari administration on May 29 this year will open new and positive vistas for the country.
“The new government, a product of the process created by the Nigerian Constitution, that is, electoral process, elicits hope of a new lease because of the acrimonious air and near despondence in the land,” the organisation noted.
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