President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday dismissed the possibility of Nigeria having an interim government. He described the insinuation of it as a treasonable offence.
Jonathan made this known at the first 2015 plenary session of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), in Abuja. He added that interim government was alien to the Nigeria constitution.
“There is no way Goodluck Ebele Jonathan elected by people with clear mandate will now go and head interim government.
“The only interim government anybody can constitute is military government which of course will no be accepted by ECOWAS, AU won’t accept it, UN won’t accept it. And Nigeria will not be a patriah state. Clearly the insinuation of interim government to me is treasonable,” he said.
Speaking further, Jonathan assured Nigerians that elections would hold at the rescheduled dates. He urged Nigerians to cooperate with his government.
“Elections will be conducted as schedule by INEC. Look at what happened in Gombe on February 14, if elections had been held the casualty figure after that attack would have been great.
“It’s better for us to conduct elections that will not be contested, elections that are credible, free and fair.
“I will not do anything because of personal interest that would jeopardize the interest of this nation,” the President assured.
Jonathan criticized politicians, who make inflammatory remarks, saying “when I listen to how some of us, politicians talk… but God is supreme, this nation will survive.”
In his remarks, 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 then surprised that some people domiciled and doing business elsewhere are moving back to their hometowns for fear of political violence during the elections.
“We are deeply saddened by unedifying pronouncements by person or groups from the North and South, who threaten brimstone and fire should their preferred political candidate fail to win the presidential election.
“We have not relent in our conversation with the aspirants to ask them to do something urgently to check this ugly trend.”
The Conference therefore called for a continuous interaction between President Jonathan and All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as part of efforts to ensure violence free polls.
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