Friday 13 February 2015

1999 Constitution Has No Provision For Interim Govt. – FG


The Federal Government, yesterday, ruled out the institution of an Interim National Government as rumoured in some quarters. The government said the idea is totally alien to the constitution, stressing that May 29 inauguration date for winner of the March 28 presidential election remains sacrosanct.

The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, in a statement, cautioned the public against being led astray by the rumours, noting that such move is not tenable under the present democratic dispensation.

“My attention has been drawn to recent calls in the media by some Nigerians for the constitution of an Interim National Government to ostensibly mid-wife the 2015 general elections to usher in a new democratic government.

“While I recognise and appreciate the inalienable right of Nigerians to freely express themselves and proffer solutions to perceived national challenges, I am deeply concerned that some undiscerning Nigerians are being unwittingly led to believe that a certain prescription, which is totally alien to the constitution, can be adopted as 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 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.

“The contraption called “Interim National Government” is therefore alien to Nigeria’s constitutional framework and the arrangement should not be promoted by well-meaning Nigerians under any guise or 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,” the statement read.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...