by Ranti Joseph

The Federal Government on Thursday has dismissed allegations of calls for the composition of an Interim National Government that will be saddled with the organisation of the general elections.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, (SAN), who explained this in a statement in Abuja, said interim government was alien to the country’s constitution. He said that his attention had been drawn to recent calls in the media by some Nigerians for the constitution of an Interim National Government to mid-wife a general election and usher in a new democratic government.

Adoke said he recognised the inalienable right of Nigerians to freely express themselves and proffer solutions to perceived national challenges but he was concerned that some undiscerning Nigerians were being unwittingly led to believe that a certain prescription, which is totally alien to the constitution, can be adopted as a viable solution to our national challenges. “It has, therefore, become necessary to correct this misconception and refocus the citizenry on the path of constitutionalism and democratic tenets consistent with our quest for democratic consolidation in Nigeria. For the avoidance of doubt, it is pertinent to state that the framers of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, did not envisage the constitution of Interim National Government to superintend over the affairs of government. It is therefore not surprising to observe that no provision for Interim National Government was made in the Constitution,” he said.

According to Adoke, Interim National Government is alien to Nigeria’s constitutional framework and the arrangement should not be promoted by well-meaning Nigerians under any circumstance. “Nigerians are therefore enjoined to continue to rely on the constitution, which contains adequate provisions on how the democratic process can be activated to elect their leaders from time to time,” he added.

Janeth J