Interim government discussion without evidence treasonable, says Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the insinuations   that he was planning to put in place an Interim National Government instead of ensuring the sanctity of the May 29 handover date amounted to treason.

He said the only ING that could be put in place was that of the military which,   according to him, will not be accepted by Nigerians and the international community.

Jonathan spoke during the opening mass for the plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria   at   Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki, Abuja.

The President again assured all stakeholders in the political process that the general elections would hold on the rescheduled dates of March 28 and April 11 and the winners   inaugurated on May 29.

He said, “There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, elected by the people with a clear mandate, will   go and head an interim government.

“The only ING anybody can constitute is that of the military which, of course, will not be acceptable.

“The Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations   won’t accept it. We will not allow Nigeria to be a pariah state again.

“Clearly, the insinuations about interim government, to me, amount to treasonable offence .”

Jonathan also described the recent poll delay as a blessing in disguise.

He said there would have been a monumental loss during the attack by Boko Haram insurgents on Gombe State on February 14, the day the presidential election would have taken place.

The President said, “Look at what happened in Gombe State on February 14 , if the elections had been held, the casualty figure would have been higher.

“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 that would jeopardise the interest of this nation because of personal interest.

“When I listen to how some of us (politicians) talk… but God is supreme. This nation will survive.”

Jonathan used the opportunity to again thank Christians and indeed all Nigerians, for their prayers which he said, had sustained the country despite its   security challenges

Giving     assurance that the country would overcome its challenges, Jonathan condemned utterances that overheat the polity.

Like Jonathan, the Senate President, David Mark, said the postponement of the polls was “a blessing in disguise.”

Although he did not cite security implication like the President did, Mark stated that the delay had provided millions of eligible voters an opportunity to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

According to him, if the elections had held on Feb. 14, many Nigerians would have been unable to vote.
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying, ‘‘I want to be re-elected back but I do not want to go through the back door, I want to be re-elected with many Nigerians accepting that this is their choice.

‘‘Whatever we can do to enable few more Nigerians to vote on their appointed days, I think it is proper that they do it.’’

Mark also restated that   ING   was “absolutely alien to the current constitution “and added, ‘‘We will not allow that.’’

Also at the event, the   Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, urged Jonathan to warn his aides and supporters about their utterances.

Onaiyekan also called on politicians to desist from mudslinging that has so far characterised electioneering ahead of the general elections.

He said, “There should not be room for negative campaigns. Personal insults and caricatures should give way to rational discussion of issues that concern us all.

“Truth must be sacrosanct even in politics. Lies, deceit, calumnies cannot move us forward. They are the hallmarks of the bad politics which have not allowed us achieve the high level that we deserve as a nation.

“These are what builds tensions, heats up the polity, spreads dangerous rumours and cause deep distrust among rival political groups. All these   are not in the interest of our people
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