THE Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Friday, March 31, condemned the alleged plot to install an interim government in Nigeria.
IPAC is a body comprising the 18 registered political parties in the country.
IPAC Chairman Sabi Yabagi described the alleged plot to install an interim government as a civilian coup while addressing journalists during a press briefing after an emergency meeting in Abuja on Friday.
“Conscious of the need for reconciliation, healing, political stability, national unity, peace, cohesion and desire to preserve our hard earned democracy after the contentious 2023 general election, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) condemns in strong terms the call and plot to install an interim government in Nigeria.
“It is a civilian coup, treason, absolutely unconstitutional, undemocratic and unacceptable,” Yabagi said.
He further noted that the planned interim government was an attempt at destroying Nigeria’s democracy and causing chaos.
The Department of State Service (SSS) had, on Wednesday, March 29, alleged that it had uncovered a plot to install an interim government in the country.
Plotters of the interim government were not identified in the statement, but the agency attributed the plan to “misguided persons” with “entrenched interests”.
According to the DSS, those behind the alleged plot intend to actualise it by sponsoring endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency, and through frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the federal and state levels.
On Wednesday, Yabagi called on the DSS to name and apprehend those behind the plot. He reiterated this during the press briefing on Friday.
“Council demands that the country’s intelligence service should name the plotters, arrest and prosecute them in accordance with the law of the land to serve as a deterrent to others who would resort to self-help to achieve their selfish political ambitions,” he said.
He also urged the judiciary to dispense justice and uphold the rule of law.
All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu was declared winner of the February 25 presidential election but the major opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have gone to court to challenge the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.