Former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, has condemned Nigerians calling for an Interim National Government (ING) after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure expires on May 29.
Remember that the Department of State Services (DSS) had warned of a plot to install an interim government and prevent President-elect Bola Tinubu from taking office.
Oni told The Punch on Saturday that the call for an interim government is unreasonable, unconstitutional, and an aberration.
According to the former governor, Nigerians should conduct as much investigation into the system as possible if it is not working so that the future can be better.
The candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the recent Ekiti governorship election added that the idea of an interim government should not come from anyone who values democracy.
He said:
Who will preside over an interim government and how will we arrive at that? From a democracy to an interim government, who constructed that path? Is it constitutional? I don’t see it as sensible.
This is part of the aberrations we talk about. Nigerians can make anything look sensible. If this system is not working, let us find a way of conducting as much inquisition as possible so the future can be better. The idea of an interim government should not come from anybody who loves democracy.
And when asked if the country’s democracy is progressing, he said:
It depends on what you mean. I said earlier that it is a surprise that in this age, an official of the government refused a court order twice and got away with it. Will you call that a sign of progress in any system?
I believe the CSOs should not just rehash criticisms, they should have a way of conducting an audit, they can set up their ombudsmen where people can send their concerns, they can find out and raise issues which appropriate government bodies will look at.
Speaking further, Oni said Nigeria as a country is not making progress in some areas, but it made some progress in some aspects like the conduct of elections.
So, there are aspects of our elections that we know have been better a million times. We are not making progress all round but we have made some progress, he added.