Don’t contemplate Interim National Government, Atiku/Okowa Campaign tells Tinubu

…says it has no place in 1999 Constitution

…insists February 25 presidential polls date must be sacrosanct

By Tunde Opalana

The Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization told the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign to perish contemplations or discussions of setting up an Interim National Government as an option to the 2023 general election.

The Campaign said such does not have any place whatsoever in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as our democratic practice as a nation.

It also advised the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign to immediately perish demands for the postponement of the 2023 general elections, as the February 25, 2023 Presidential election date must be sacrosanct given that Nigerians are ready to go to the polls where they will elect Atiku Abubakar as the next President of the country.

The Campaign in a statement Wednesday by its spokesperson, Kola Olognondiyan, said its position is predicated on the reports of sinister plots by the Tinubu Campaign to create situations and narratives to justify its reported demands for the postponement of the 2023 general elections.

“Our Campaign has also received intelligence of a very dangerous plot by the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign to continue to orchestrate unrest across the country aimed at truncating the electoral process, triggering a constitutional crisis and foisting an undemocratic situation of Interim National Government on our country, having realized that it has no chance in the election.

“These reported moves by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign are not only cowardly but also confirm that Tinubu is intimidated by the overwhelming popularity of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and as such seeks to scuttle the election.

“Nigerians can now further see why Tinubu has not been campaigning on issues but only engaging in incitements, brawling, vituperations on constituted authorities, creating a parallel Army, code-named “Jagaban Army”, pushing Nigerians to insurrection and directing his followers to fight for power and unleash violence during the elections.

“The public can further comprehend the full import of Tinubu’s directive to his followers in London when he declared that “political power is not going to be served in a restaurant, it is not served a la carte. It is what we are doing; It is being determined; you do it at all cost; fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run with it”.

“Such inciting comments are at the root of the violent attacks on innocent Nigerians as well as facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by APC thugs in various parts of our country.

“Part of this plot is the reported interception, mopping up and hoarding of new Naira notes by the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign for purpose of vote buying leading to the biting scarcity of new Naira notes and consequential suffering and hardship across the country.

“It is indeed pathetic that Tinubu, who ought to know that the 1999 Constitution, upon which our democracy derives its existence, is the one reported to be pushing for a situation of an Interim National Government (ING), just because it is clear to him that he cannot win the February 25, 2023 Presidential election,” the statement read in part.

While counseling Tinubu to face the reality of his looming defeat and stop the shenanigans of seeking to introduce dangerous forms of contraption into the polity, the Atiku/Okowa Campaign asked

Tinubu to come to the full realization that “his reliance on financial inducements alone cannot save him as there is no way Nigerians will elect any individual convicted for trafficking in narcotic, indicted in many criminal allegations and who has also shown manifest incapacities to serve as the President of our nation.”

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It therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to focus on its mandate to deliver a free, fair and credible Presidential election on February 25, 2023 while calling on security agencies to note the machinations of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign and take urgent steps to protect the electoral