Constituting Interim Govt Equates Extension of Buhari’s Tenure, Lagos Lawmaker Warns

Segun James

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Tobun, has warned that any attempt to constitute an interim government in the country would equate an extension of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, and it is not acceptable.

Tobun’s position followed the call by elder statesman, Chief Afe Babalola, for an interim government to be put in place in 2023 as part of efforts to correct the wrongs in the constitution and the polity.

Tobun, who represents Epe constituency I in the Assembly, insisted that interim government is not democratic, and it is unacceptable.

The Lagos lawmaker, however, disagreed with the position of Babalola, stating that constituting an interim government would amount to bringing people that would not have the consent of the people.

Tobun argued that: “Interim government is not acceptable and it’s not a recipe for development. There is no crisis, elections must come up and we must transits from one democratically elected president to another for our democracy to be strengthened. We must have elections; there is no need for interim government at all.”

Speaking on the spate of insecurity in the country, the lawmaker explained that “insecurity has nothing to do with elections-Boko Haram is saying foreign education is not acceptable.

“It is not as if the president elected was not acceptable to Nigerians. It is even the best for us to have another president who will listen to the agitations and handle the problems in a civilized way, and we will resolve the problems amicably.

“Bringing in an interim government will mean bringing somebody that does not have the consent of the people. By bringing interim government that means the president is going to appoint or pick the interim members, which is an extension of what we are having now. So, we should allow the people of the country to elect their people.”

The lawmaker further argued that “insecurity is everywhere in the world, America, Ukraine and many parts of the world, saying that that does not stop them from democratic transition. Sincerely, I feel the elections should come as quickly as possible and a new president must be elected.

“Interim government is unacceptable, it is undemocratic, and it is not the wish of Nigerians. We must strengthen our democracy and allow the people to choose their president. Americans faced their problems and they surmounted it, and UK did the same thing. We must allow elections, it is normal to have teething problem, and when it is resolved, it becomes a history.”

Afe Babalola had stated at a press conference that an interim government should replace the current administration at the expiration of Buhari’s tenure in 2023.

The legal icon had stressed that the 2023 elections should be suspended until Nigeria has “a new-look peoples’ constitution which should provide for part-time legislators and non-executive president.’’

Babalola said members of the interim government should be drawn from all living former presidents and vice-presidents; some selected ministers and governors and delegates of prominent professional associations.

The professional associations could be the Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Bar Association, Nigeria Labour Congress, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Academic Staff Union of Universities; and Civil Society Organisations.

According to him, it was regrettable that the current 1999 Constitution foisted on Nigerians by the military was no longer in tune with realities of the day.

 “The same constitution has made politics become not only very attractive, but the only lucrative business in Nigeria today.

“What this means is that any election that holds under the present scenario will end up producing transactional and recycled leaders, with no ability to turn things around.’’