Name, Arrest Those Plotting Interim Govt, IPAC Chairman Tells DSS

The Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, has asked the Department of State Service (DSS) to name and apprehend those it said are behind plans to install an interim government in the country.

The DSS had in a statement earlier on Wednesday said it discovered a plot by “misguided” political actors to set aside the constitution and install an interim government in the country.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Sani said it is not enough for the DSS to announce a plot for interim government, charging them to go further and name the plotters as well as take action against them.

“To say the least, it is an embarrassment because I believe that the DSS, the agency that is in charge of gathering intelligence and then passing intelligence to other agencies, are supposed to take action. And I don’t think it serves the purpose of this country for the DSS to come and make this pronouncement in the manner they are making it.

“What would have made sense to us is that so person is involved, so person has been arrested or is under interrogation or whatever action has been taken. Okay, what do we do as politicians or citizens of this country? We can’t do nothing,” Sani said.

He said that law enforcement agencies should not fail to demonstrate that nobody is above the law to serve as deterrent to others who might have other plans to scuttle democracy in the country.

Yabagi, who was the presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the February 25 presidential election, added that democracy is too precious and must be protected by the security agencies.

“Look at what happened in the United States when (Donald) Trump wanted to interrupt the inauguration of (Joe) Biden, something happened, they took action. So, I believe as much as we commend the effort of the DSS, I think they should go beyond that because as citizens what can we do?” he queried.

Also speaking on the programme, a security expert and lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, condemned the idea of an interim government, noting that it is illegal and unconstitutional.

Bukarti also called on Nigeria’s international partners not to recognise any government that comes to power in Nigeria through unconstitutional means.

“Interim government or whatever name it is called is illegal, it is unconstitutional, has no basis in law and nobody in Nigeria has the right to install that kind of government and therefore we should stop that kind of illegal calls.

“I call on Nigeria’s international partners, especially Nigeria’s Western partners to take this threat seriously and to make it clear that they will not accept any government that comes into power through unconstitutional means and then sanction any individual that is involved in the kind of things that the DSS is warning us about,” he said.