The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Friday that the debate over an alleged attempt to foist an interim government on the country would not disrupt the handover of power to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on May 29. The Tinubu‑Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and the party’s leadership also dismissed reports that the alleged plot had unsettled their camp. The APC explained that it had done its part by bringing the threat to the attention of security agencies, adding that there was no cause for alarm.
National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said there was no reason to fret as long as law‑enforcement agents performed their duties. “I don’t see how talks about an interim government would disrupt the handover to Asiwaju,” he said. “The party’s step was to alert the security agencies and the public. As you can see, the DSS has begun to investigate the actors and the plot. That is their responsibility—to ensure there is no breach and that anyone with grievances takes them to court. The police, DSS and other agencies have the authority to maintain peace and defeat any plot by individuals or groups to destabilise the country.”
Challenging the DSS to clamp down on proponents of an interim government, the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) stated that nobody in its camp feared a surprise attack before the May 29 inauguration. Tinubu had polled 8,794,726 votes, defeating his closest rivals—Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (6,984,520 votes) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (6,101,533 votes). Both Atiku and Obi, at separate press conferences on March 2, rejected the election outcome, claiming the poll was rigged.
Speaking on Saturday, APC PCC Director of Media and Publicity Bayo Onanuga debunked speculation that Tinubu’s camp was in disarray over fears that President Muhammadu Buhari (retired) would not hand over on May 29. “Everyone heard the President say he will hand over on May 29 to the winner of the election. All these talks about an interim government are a useless debate. We have the certificate of return, and Asiwaju will be sworn in as the 16th president of Nigeria. There is nothing anyone can do about that. The Constitution already provides the way to deal with election disputes. If you are not satisfied with the INEC‑declared winner, go to court. May 29 is not negotiable; it is as certain as the rising sun. We have no reason to entertain fear because those talks are mere side chatter and a beer‑parlour idea.”
Onanuga described Labour Party vice‑presidential candidate Datti Baba‑Ahmed’s claim that handing over to Tinubu would mark the “end of democracy” as lacking leadership traits. In response, Labour Party chief spokesman Yunusa Tanko warned that innocent protesters might become targets of the secret police. Tanko noted that they had already received intelligence on arrests made during demonstrations they believed were orchestrated, and he absolved Baba‑Ahmed of blame for the threat that Tinubu would not be sworn in on May 29.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and prosecute anyone plotting to install an interim government. In a statement obtained on Saturday, the forum said, “Governors condemn in the strongest terms any unconstitutional means of regime change and pledge to continue defending Nigeria’s democracy as elected leaders.”
The Inter‑Party Advisory Council (IPAC), a coalition of the 18 registered political parties, also raised concerns on Friday about plots by unknown persons to undermine the nation’s democracy following alleged manipulation of the 2023 general elections. IPAC warned that such actions would amount to treason and a civilian coup, and called on the DSS to name, arrest and prosecute the plotters in accordance with the law as a deterrent. National Chairman Yabaji Sani told journalists in Abuja that, if true, the allegation was treasonable and constituted a civilian coup.
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