President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday, ostensibly sounding a note of caution to the military, said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) will not accept any military government. The president also reiterated that interim national government is alien to the Nigerian constitution, warning that such an insinuation is tantamount to treason.
He assured that elections will hold on the new dates of March 28 and April 11 as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The president who was at the opening mass for the plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki, said there is no way he that was elected with clear man- date of the people will push for an interim government. He assured that his personal ambition will never supersede the interest of the nation.
Read also: CBN sets guidelines for Islamic finance advisory body
According to the president, “There is no way Good- luck Jonathan elected by the people with clear man- date will now go and head interim government.
The only interim government anybody can constitute is that of the military government which of course will not be accepted. “ECOWAS, AU, UN won’t accept it. And Nigeria will not be a pariah state. Clearly the insinuation of interim government to me is treasonable. “Elections will be conducted as schedule by INEC”, he said. The president, who thanked Christians for their prayers for the nation, noted that the world was going crazy because of the blood- shed by terrorists including Boko Haram. Commending the theme of the conference which is family, Jonathan described it as unique, noting that even the Bible acknowledges that if the foundation is not right the righteous cannot do much. Speaking on the rescheduled dates of the elections, the president said the postponement was a blessing in disguise, adding that he shuddered to think about the casualty figure of the attack in Gombe State on February 14, if the elections had held. “Look at what happened in Gombe on February 14th, if the elections had been held the casualty figure after that attack in Gombe would have been great. It is better for us to conduct elections that will not be contested, elections that are credible, free and fair. “We believe no criminal element can come and prevent us from conducting our elections. “I will not do anything because of personal interest that would jeopardise the interest of this nation. “When I listen to how some of us politicians talk… but God is supreme this nation will survive”, he said. Meanwhile, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has appealed to politicians to desist from hate speeches and comments capable of inciting citizens as they go about their campaign ahead of the general elections, slated for March 28 and April 11.
Onaiyekan stressed on the need for a loving nucleus family for a peaceful nation, a normal society and a morally upright society, adding that the nation needs to do more in promoting family life as a good family makes a good nation. The cardinal regretted the rivalry among political parties, urging them not to forget national priorities and justice among other things. He urged that person- al insults and caricature should give way to national discourse that will benefit all and that truth must be sacrosanct as it must be the hallmark of politics. Onaiyekan said, “Good families make a good nation. We can go even further to state that a good nation should be a family of families. The diversity of our nation is well known. But that is no reason why we cannot see ourselves as belonging to the same national family.”
