A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Diran Odeyemi, said on Thursday that the Department of State Services’ claim that some people wanted to foist an interim government on the country was suspicious. Speaking with journalists in Osogbo, Odeyemi warned, “If, almost a week after they made that statement, we have not heard of any arrests or any concrete investigation thereafter, I will advise them not to turn to political parties. Nigerians should watch out for the presidency. They might be the ones flying the kite.” He added that politicians believe in democracy and do not support extra‑constitutional means of changing government, which is why all presidential candidates are approaching the courts while their supporters protest in the streets. “The issue of an interim government coming from the DSS is like the Federal Government planning a coup against itself, and they should not involve politicians,” he said. “Irrespective of any political party, we still believe in democracy and not any interim arrangement. If the DSS has a contrary view, they should produce the arrests they claim. Their claim appears suspicious.”
Meanwhile, the Ekiti Council of Elders cautioned Nigerians on Thursday against activities that could cause anarchy and plunge the country into crisis. Council President Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi and General Secretary Niyi Ajibulu condemned the alleged extrajudicial actions of some political parties and unpatriotic elements since the presidential election, describing them as worrisome. In a statement delivered in Ado Ekiti after the council’s monthly plenary titled “Call for Interim National Government Unconstitutional,” they urged all stakeholders not to allow tribal, sectional, or individual interests to undermine the nation’s unity. The council expressed concern that the DSS had openly confirmed “the nefarious intention to subvert the transition process and our fledgling democracy with calls for the cancellation of a free and credible election and for the oddity of an interim national government.”
The elders implored law‑enforcement agencies to remain vigilant and ensure that the country’s peace is not jeopardised. They emphasized that, since the relevant authority has concluded the presidential election and declared a winner, the civilized option for any aggrieved citizen is to pursue legal avenues for redress. “Casting aspersions and name‑calling against the Yoruba or any tribe is unacceptable, as it will continue to generate bad blood, distrust, and gaping fault lines in the polity,” they concluded.
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