Renowned elder statesmen have advised the Federal Government and relevant agencies of the state to ensure that the planned general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are rescheduled.

In separate chats with New Telegraph, they stated that though some elements within and outside the government are scheming to enthrone an interim government, the moves would be illegal as it has no basis in the Constitution and also not an option. Those who spoke include a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Olu of Ilu-Abo in Akure Local Government area of Ondo State, Oba Olu Falae, a former Presidential aide, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and Chairman, Council of Elders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu.

Falae, who urged the government to speak on the rumoured Interim National Government rocking the polity, added that the scarcity of redesigned notes is a plot to foist the arrangement on the country. Although Falae said that as a traditional ruler, he couldn’t make elaborate comments on national issues, he said monarchs in the country would take a position when it is visible that the Interim National Government would become a reality. “I am no longer a politician. I am now an Oba so as a politician, I would have made a statement but not now. Is it a rumour going around or has there been an announcement? I am a traditional ruler now but if it was before December 29th, I would have made a statement, of course, I will make a statement, and if I have done that they could come and take me from here but not now.

“I now play a strikingly different role but if it comes to a crunch on where Nigeria is headed. We will come out and tell them this is our own take. I cannot contribute to issues like before, I am sufficiently enlightened to know the difference in role.

“I am still the same person but my role and expectations are different.

"We are the last bus stop when it gets to the point when Nigeria is put into disarray if the other obas don’t come out I will. That in Yoruba land we are not slaves. “At that point, we would have gotten to the crunch but for now let them continue. It is all a game plan, they intentionally created currency crises to destroy everything so the election will not hold, so they can continue. “We want them to get to that point, they should keep pushing that is when we will speak. Others might be afraid then but people like me are not. We have not gotten to that point yet.”

Yakasai said speculation about an Interim National Government (ING) is an illegal contraption because it does not have a place in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The former presidential aide told Saturday Telegraph on phone that even though it has happened before, right-thinking Nigerians want democracy because an interim government will be a drawback to the Constitution of the country.

He stated that even though some people might want to truncate it, the majority of Nigerians want democracy and election to hold, adding, “I heard what people have been saying, but there is no provision for ING in the Nigerian Constitution, the government in Nigeria is created by the Constitution, either at local government level, state and federal government levels there is no legal provision for Interim National Government.

“ING by its own name is a government between one government and another, the provision of the constitution is that before the life span of any government, there must be an election, a winner must emerge and time would be set aside for swearing-in. So immediately the life of the present government is about to end. The newly elected leader will be sworn in and the person will take over.

Interim government is an illegality.” According to him, “The assumption is that there will be no new government until election is conducted, but where a government is overthrown, the overthrow of an elected government is an unconstitutional act, so whatever follows is unconstitutional.

“But in the case of a coup, there is what they called fait accompli that has happened, you cannot change it. That is why the people accept the new government not because it is legal, but because they have no alternative.” On the prevailing crisis, he said, “What is happening now is not normalcy and it is happening because of an action perpetrated by those that we don’t know what is in their mind. It is possible that some people are trying to truncate democracy, but the choice of the Nigerian people is for democracy. “People are talking about the motive behind the crisis here and there, but legally there is no provision for ING, but nobody knows the thinking of these people. But as far as the constitution is concerned there is no provision for ING. Our expectations are that there will be elections, after the election a winner will emerge and eventually the winner will be sworn in.

“I can’t say what I don’t know, but it happened before and I don’t think that it cannot happen in the future, but all right-thinking Nigerians want democracy and we pray nothing will happen apart from democracy. Because the coup will be a drawback and this country is moving towards development in democracy, but previous coups truncated our journey to democracy, we lost that chance and we are still not going on the trajectory of the rule of the constitution of Nigeria.”

On his part, Iwuanyanwu called on political leaders and stakeholders to tone down inflammatory statements and assertions capable of truncating the 2023 general election. This is also as the business mogul urged agitators in the South-East to stop all forms of bloodletting and shun actions and utterances capable of plunging the region into crisis ahead of the general elections.

He made a passionate appeal to youths and various agitators in the South East to sheath their swords and allow elections to hold and peace to reign in the region. According to Iwuanyanwu, “In the past few months, I have watched with deep grief, the wanton shedding of innocent blood, destruction of properties belonging to governments, individuals.”

He said his Council has been working tirelessly to ensure the unconditional release of the leader of the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, adding that they will not rest on their oars until Kanu secures his freedom. “As chairman Council of Elders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, I have summoned an emergency meeting of Ohanaeze Elders where the security situation of the South East was critically examined,” he said. He noted with concern, the deteriorating security, social and economic conditions in the South-East, adding that many school leavers and graduates spend many years looking for employment without success while many businesses have collapsed due to lack of infrastructure such as power. Iwuanyanwu lamented further: “For the first time in the history of Igboland, we have witnessed Igbos killing innocent Igbos for no just cause. When we recall that Igbos lost over two million people during the Civil war, there is no reason why we should shed more blood in Igboland.” The Elder Statesman appealed to the agitators and youths to allow peace to reign by ensuring that the elections in the South-East are peaceful adding that the solution lies in peaceful decisions and negotiations.

He said that the Elders Council has decided to hold a Peace Summit which will give the youths the opportunity to air their grievances and promised that on behalf of the elders, the issues will be resolved to the best of their ability. He said that the decision of the elders has been communicated to the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Chairman Governors’ Forum, and the South-East Governors so that they will take various steps to arrest the situation.

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