Tinubu and APC express fears about plans to disrupt swearing-in on May 29 and constitute interim government

NIGERIA'S new president-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has expressed fears about plans by some aggrieved politicians who lost out in the last elections to truncate the transition process by disrupting his planned swearing-in on  May 29.

On Saturday February 25, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president and the Independent National Election Commission (Inec) subsequently declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner. Among the other main gladiators in the contest were Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kano State governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Inec chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as the returning officer for the presidential election, declared Asiwaju Tinubu the victor of the contest with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Alhaji Abubakar of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes and Governor Obi who came third with 6,101,533 votes. However, the PDP and Labour Party have refused to accept the results.

With the political temperature very high at the moment, Festus Keyamo, the minister of state for labour and employment and APC presidential campaign spokesman, warned the PDP and Labour Party presidential candidates against taking to the streets while also pursuing their cases in court. He then issues a statement on behalf of Asiwaju Tinubu, noting that those who have taken to the streets protesting against his mandate are fixated on having an interim national government.

Mr Keyamo's statement read:  “We have watched with great concern the condemnable activities of some persons and groups who are desirous of truncating our democracy. For reasons best known to them, these persons have remained embittered that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was declared winner of the 2023 general elections.

"Repeatedly but unfortunately, these misguided individuals have called for either the cancellation of the results or that the president-elect should not be inaugurated on the 29th of May, 2023. We wish to reiterate and emphasise that these positions are not in tandem with our constitutional provisions or our electoral laws.

"We would have taken these as mere wishful thinking, however, because of their implications for national security and public order, we have therefore considered it necessary, if not expedient, to call them to order. We are aware of the intentions of those engaged in these treasonable and subversive acts and we also know those involved in the many plots being contrived to undermine the transition in particular and democracy in general.

"They are fixated on an interim government. They have done it in this country before and it threw the nation into an avoidable crises for many years and they want to do it again. They are bent on de-legitimising the new government.

"Some have made treasonable insinuations and openly called for military take-over. It is for these reasons that they are desperate to incite the people against the incoming government.

“It is perplexing to see that those contesting the results want to be in the courts and on the streets at the same time. However, if their intention is to truncate the inauguration of the president-elect and vice president-elect, they should immediately bury the thought.

"It is gratifying to note that the president has set in motion steps for the actualisation of the swearing-in ceremonies. In this regard, the Presidential Transition Council has remained focused and committed to its terms of reference in respect of organising a hitch-free handover."