* Says INEC shouldn’t be blamed for electoral offences
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A pro-Bola Tinubu group, the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), has asked those clamouring for the inauguration of an interim government on May 29 to perish the thought.
The National Coordinator of SWAGA, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, who stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, also asked Nigerians to disregard “the noise makers”.
The former spokesperson for the 9th Senate also cautioned fake pastors and prophets not to destroy the unity of Nigeria with their reckless utterances.
He said: “I want to appeal to all Nigerians to disregard the noise makers, who are trying to create anarchy.
“Nigerians should also disregard fake prophecies. I saw a trending video in which one fake, useless pastor was saying that ‘Yes, Tinubu will be declared but he will not be sworn in and that an interim government will be formed’.
“I will be a citizen of this country and allow that? It’s not going to happen.
“You want to ruin this country; you want to divide this country and destroy its unity. Some of us who are patriotic citizens won’t allow that.
“Nigerians have voted and a candidate has emerged. Then you said you are looking for an interim government. On what ground?
“What will be the legitimacy of the interim government? Who will constitute the interim government?
“On what mandate the interim government will be constituted? Who and who will be members? People have to reason.
“Millions of Nigerians have exercised their franchise and voted for a person. You may not like the person, that’s the beauty of democracy. Next time, it could be your own candidate.
“Interim government will not happen in the country. Some of us who fought for this democracy will not allow it.
“In the case of June 1993 election, the result was not even declared. So you could have doubt.
“The results of the 2023 election had been declared, we now have a president-elect. May 29 is around the corner, by the Grace of God, he will be sworn in.
“Anything short of that, you are asking that Nigeria should come to an end. Those who are fantasising, dreaming of interim government should bury the thought.
“All the gains recorded during the 2023 election had been thrown away by some people who are creating hatred all over the place.
“They should exercise caution. Democracy means there will be winners and losers.”
Adeyeye, who was a former Works Minister, also exonerated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the various offences perpetrated by politicians during the just concluded general election in the country.
The senator said: “INEC should be commended not blamed. The INEC chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, did a wonderful job. He keeps refining the system. I hope that the next election will be better than this one.
“Whatever problem we had with this election was not caused by INEC, though it has it’s own little challenge, but the large chunk of the problem was caused by the politicians.
“If there is any blame in this last election, it is the politicians who prevented others from voting. It is politicians and their agents who destroy the ballot boxes at the polling unit, not INEC. How do you blame INEC for the violence recorded in some places?”
He wondered why the Labour Party (LP), which came third in the presidential election, should be claiming to be the winner of the polls.
According to him, “It is worrisome that the LP that came third has been the most vociferous of the opposition to the outcome of the elections and has been the perpetrator of electoral heist in this case.
“Otherwise, how come the party that claimed it won presidential election only managed to win one governorship seat in the country three weeks later?
“Are the voters suddenly angry with their party or they no longer believe in it? A party that got 6,101,533 votes in the presidential election struggled to get 1,170,290 votes in the entire governoship elections. Did the voters relocate from Nigeria?
“Let us remind them also that the interpretation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the duty of the court once any such matter is brought before it.
“The same court will determine the status of the FCT vis-a-vis the requirement of 25% votes when the time comes.
“We say enough of social media trials and attempts at misleading Nigerians, mis-informing the populace, harassing the judiciary that has become the agenda of the LP in their bid to throw the country into chaos.”
