The Chairman/ Convener of Progressives’ Solidarity for Asiwaju (PSA), Chief Ibrahim Emokpaire, has described calls by the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Baba Datti Ahmed, that President Buhari should not hand over power to the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and a call for an Interim Government following the process and outcome of February 25, 2023 election, as an invitation to anarchy.
Chief Emokpaire, one of the 2018 APC National Chairmanship aspirants, challenged Datti Baba Ahmed in an exclusive interview in London at the weekend.
Emokpaire noted that “the most awful civilian government is better than the most effective military government.”
He stated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), conducted an excellent election that was deemed free and fair by many independent institutions and observers, and that the presidential and governorship elections had been lost and won, therefore, “the best option left to losers and winners is to seek redress in court and reconciliation respectively.”
While acknowledging that an interim government is not constitutional, he said losers have another option– to re-strategize and vote out the president-elect in 2027 instead of asking for an interim government.
According to him, “The process and outcome of February 25, 2023, and March 18, 2023 elections show that the Nigerian people love Asiwaju Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and what the party has achieved under its leadership.”
He further stressed that an interim government is treasonable, wicked, and undemocratic as those fueling it are anti-democracy agents.
The Chairman warned that those clamouring for an interim government are evil and power mongers who want to steal the people’s mandate, adding that the nation would suffer lasting damage if the consequences of such a breach are not dealt with immediately.”
Emokpaire also called on the losers in the elections to join hands with the president-elect Tinubu, a progressive who has worked tirelessly for Lagos’ progress and the country at large for more than three decades.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would address challenges of infrastructural deficit, electricity supply, the attraction of foreign direct investments, unemployment, bad roads, and insecurity among others when sworn into office on May 29th 2023.
On the issue of the alleged invitation of IPOB to Lagos State to protect the Igbo traders by one Eze Ndigbo and his arrest over the weekend, he said it would serve as a lesson to those planning to truncate the smooth transition of power to a democratically elected government, come May 29th 2023.
The 2018 APC National Chairmanship contestant also called on law-abiding citizens to support the outcome of the February 25 presidential election results and the March 18 governorship elections and the electoral process, instead of embarking on actions that will set Nigeria aback.