Interim govt no go area, says GEJ

President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that there is no way he could push for an Interim National Government (ING) having been elected with clear mandate of the people, and that his personal ambition will never supersede the interest of the nation.

According to him, the insinuations being made in some quarters that there are plans to install an ING in the country is treasonable.

He was speaking Sunday, at the first 2015 plenary session of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), in Abuja.

President Jonathan reiterated that the re-scheduled elections will hold on March 28 and April 11 as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to him: “Interim government is not known to the Nigerian constitution. I don’t have powers to redefine our constitution. There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, who was elected by the people with a clear mandate, will now go and head an interim government without a mandate.

“The only interim government that anybody can contemplate is a military government which, of course, will not be accepted.

“ECOWAS will not accept it, that is why we forced Burkina Faso to take the decision they took; AU will not accept it, the UN will not accept it and Nigerians will not in this present generation accept it. So any insinuation about interim government is treasonable and people should not talk about it. Elections will be conducted as scheduled by INEC,” he said.

The Catholic Arch Bishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan on his part urged the president to call his supporters to order in their hate speeches and campaigns.

He said, “There should not be room for negative campaigns. personal insults and caricatures should give way to rational discussion of issues that concern us all.

“Truth must be sacrosanct even in politics. Lies, deceit, calumnies cannot move us forward. They are the hallmarks of the bad politics which have not allowed us achieve the high level that we deserve as a nation.

“These are what builds tensions, heats up the polity, spreads dangerous rumours and cause deep distrust among rival political groups. All these are not in the interest of our people.”

The cleric also enjoined politicians to use the opportunity provided via the postponement of the election to mend fences.

The CBCN President and Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama said: “The feverish, barren political campaigns do not allow room for a national family spirit and the quest to win elections at all cost contribute to heating up the political temperature.

“We are surprised that some people who are doing business elsewhere are moving back to their home towns for fear of political violence during the elections.”

On a strategic approach to ensure violence free 2015 elections, the Catholic Bishops called for continuous interaction between President Jonathan and All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Kaigama told the congregation: “We will like to see a friendly, social interaction between Mr. President and Gen. Buhari and, if possible, with other aspirants where the issue is not elections, but a light-hearted conversation about the good of Nigeria.”

– Ripples

 

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