BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
With 42 days to May 29, the Federal Government has intensified preparations for a smooth handover from the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to that of the President –elect, Bola Tinubu, in a manner that brings into sharp focus, renewed hope and optimism for the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria.
Already the transition committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has been working round the clock to ensure a very successful and colourful transition on May 29.
Though there are pockets of protests and court cases, Nigerians are eagerly looking forward to celebrating another civilian to civilian handover and continuation of Nigeria’s democracy.
Abdullahi Sani Mohammed, member of Civil Society Organisation, expressed optimism that the upcoming handover and inauguration of Tinubu will usher in a new hope for Nigeria and Nigerians.
He said, “May 29 will mark a new hope for Nigeria and Nigerians. The incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is a man with a magic wand that whatever he touches turns to gold. We saw what happened in Lagos when he was governor. He also did it with the opposition parties and brought them together to form the now ruling APC. Nobody can take that away from him.
He is all that we need now that every sector of the country is experiencing hiccups. I tell you, Nigerians voted massively for him because of these qualities that are rarely found in others and cannot wait to be part of his inauguration.”
Sani Mohammed further noted that since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, May 29 has remained historic, adding that in 2015 the country transitioned from a ruling party to an opposition party that formed the new government and it went smoothly.
“May 29 is historic. Since 1999 when we returned to democracy, a new government has been inaugurated on this day after four years. In 2015, our democracy was boosted the most when the PDP government handed over to the APC that won the election. You know it was the first time in our political history that a party in power lost an election and was smoothly handed over to the opposition. We can’t go below this and that is why I have no doubt that the inauguration will definitely hold and smoothly, too. Good thing, those who are contesting the outcome of the February 25 election are in court which is the right thing to do but it will not stop the inauguration and handover.
“For those who are clamouring for an interim government which is unconstitutional, I want to tell them it’s an effort in futility. Our democracy has come to stay. There’s no perfect democracy anywhere in the world. Even the United States that brands itself as the mother of democracy, we are seeing what is happening. Every country determines how its democracy is run. For us in Nigeria, we are on the right track and that is why we have been able to transit from one government to another without stress. So, my advice to those who toyed with the idea of an interim government is that they should perish the thought and join the good citizens of our country to celebrate our democracy,” he said.
Before now, the National Association of Nigerian Students had warned that it will resist any attempt to stop the inauguration of Tinubu as Nigeria’s President on 29, May 2023.
NANS reacted to claims of plot to stop the inauguration of Tinubu, with the installation of an interim government as released by the Department of State Security.
Vice President (External Affairs) Akinteye Babatunde Afeez said, “Following the recent reports coming from the quarters of the Nigerian DSS that there are frantic efforts and devilish plots by some unscrupulous elements in the Nigerian political space to truncate the Nigerian political system by stopping the inauguration of Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect with an illegal installation of an interim government; the Nigerian Students consider this as a sham and we say in all factual senses that it cannot work.”
While warning the propagators to desist from the call to truncate the nascent democracy, NANS said, “It is laughable in all ramifications that an election was organized by INEC and the result of the presidential election produced a President-elect and this winner was announced by the same body – INEC that conducted the election then a group of sycophants would come together to plan to shortchange the fragile peace of the nation for their selfish interests.
“This will be totally unacceptable by all and sundry. The entire Nigerian students would go against this with every power within and without. Gone is the era of June 12, 1993 when Nigeria was still in a dark age and most Nigerians didn’t know their rights and privileges as citizens.
“Gone is such an era of militarization and affront impunity, where someone or a group of few people can just come up with plans and actualize them against the will of the people. Gone is the era where the Nigerian students and youth would sit and watch some people decide for us to our detriment as citizens and as a nation. We are all wiser now.”
Besides NANS, a group known as Upholding Democracy for Development, has charged Nigerians not to allow politicians to use them for their selfish ambition against the common goal of the country.
UDD Convener, Johnson Okoroigbe said “the country has successfully conducted elections where winners and losers emerged.
It’s a good thing that those who lost have chosen the constitutional approach to challenge the outcome of the election by seeking redress in court. We advise they should limit themselves to the legal means and should not be associated with calls that will destabilize our fragile peace. Comments like inauguration will not hold and other various negative comments are unacceptable. During past elections, those who lost went to court, while they were in court, the president-elect was inaugurated. So, I don’t know why this should be different.
“What we should be doing now is setting an agenda for the incoming government, not dwelling on whether the inauguration will hold or not. We are only counting down to the date. For us in UDD we are particular about the innovations the incoming administration will bring to our governance. Nigeria and Nigerians have numerous challenges that must be addressed and the earlier they are streamlined the better for all of us. Let’s be focused and task the incoming administration to be focused for the good of our country and all of us.”
A social and political commentator, Jonathan Doegwai, wondered why any Nigerian should in his wildest imagination think there will be no inauguration on May 29.
Doegwai said, “May 29 is in our calendar. Since 1999 we have inaugurated four Presidents on this very date. I don’t think anything can change the date. As for those in court, they should concentrate on pursuing their cases. That will not affect the inauguration; rather, if after the inauguration and the courts said the person inaugurated as President of Nigeria is not the rightful person, then the person will be removed from office and the right person will be sworn in.”
Meanwhile, a cross section of civil servants has divergent views. While some joined those saying that the handover must be held on May 29, others are asking the tribunal to quicken the court process so that everything about the election would be settled before the inauguration date.
Joseph Ayodele, a civil servant said, “I am confident that the inauguration will hold. I don’t see anything that will stop it. Court cannot stop it, so what else can stop it? Nigerians are looking forward to that day when President Buhari will hand over to Asiwaju at the Eagle Square.”
Another civil servant, Ahmad Abdullahi, said “There is no debate on that. May 29 is near; we will all be part of the inauguration. Buhari’s administration will leave while Tinubu’s administration will be ushered in,” were his words.
Abdullahi further noted that the inauguration will calm down the country as those opposed to it will have no choice when the administration swings into action. He added that the incoming administration should do everything possible to unite the people because the outcome of the election has divided the country.
“Will the inauguration of the President-elect take place on May 29? The answer is yes. There’s no place for a vacuum in our Constitution. May 29 is a date in the country’s calendar”
For Uyi Osa, it’s the ruling party that is echoing the issue of inauguration holding or not. He advised the leaders of the APC to call their supporters to order saying that a party that has won an election should not engage in propaganda to demonise the opposition.
“If you check, you will find out that all the noise about inauguration holding or not is coming from the APC. They are the ones carrying propaganda everywhere. They have won elections; all we expect from them is to concentrate on how to give Nigerians good governance. Not all this Obi has done this, Atiku has done that. They are doing what the opposition parties should do. Why? This is my fear that we may have another disastrous year.”
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State had earlier called on Nigerians to eschew what he described as extreme politics in the face of reactions that have trailed the outcome of the 2023 Presidential, National Assembly as well as Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
Governor Umahi while assuring Nigerians that the country will have a smooth transition on May 29 reminded the people that only God can determine the fate of any leader including the president-elect Bola Tinubu.
According to him, “one very important task for the incoming government at this time would be to channel all energies possible to keep Nigeria together and united.”
APC Youth wing of Kaduna State reassured the President-elect of their total support. The group’s leader, Abdulhamid Mohammed, warned those plotting to truncate the swearing-in of Tinubu to desist from such plans, because Nigerians who voted the president-elect would protect the country’s interest down to Aso Villa.
He said the handover will be held on May 29 and Nigerians will celebrate it without any obstruction.
Human Rights lawyer, Silver Emeka, said there will be no vacuum because the Constitution does not provide for that. He said while the election petitions cases precede in court, the country must move on.
“Will the inauguration of the President-elect take place on May 29? The answer is yes. There’s no place for a vacuum in our Constitution. May 29 is a date in the country’s calendar.
“Nobody should debate whether there will be an inauguration or not. It’s true the aggrieved are in court. While they pursue their cases, the country will move on, so, the question of whether inauguration will hold or not should not come up at all. We are a country governed by law. Nigeria is not a banana republic where anything goes.
“I tell you something, if Tinubu and his team are inaugurated on May 29, and the court says he did not win the election, and names a different candidate as the winner, he will leave the seat, and it’s as simple as that. So, there is no reason to truncate the inauguration.”
