.Call Invitation to Anarchy – Uzodinma

Reactions have continued to trail the call by the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUA), Are Afe Babalola, SAN, for the suspension of the 2023 election, and institution of Interim National Government (ING) for a period of six months after the expiration the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2023.

Nigerian Senate on Tuesday described it as unfortunate that such opinion came from a legal luminary.

Senate Spokesman, Bashir Ajibola while reacting to the development said, in as much as Senate will not join issues with him, it is very sad that such a comment is coming from a legal luminary that is so much respected by the people.

The Senate said the legal luminary might be offering his opinion against his knowledge of the law, but that the procedure for amending the constitution to accommodate his ideas, was clearly spelt out in the constitution.

Ajibola said: “Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution as amended clearly states the procedure for amendment and as a lawyer, Afe Babalola supposed to know all this.

“His comment is more political than legal and his suggestions cannot stand in line with modern reality. For instance, pegging the age of political offices is not in tandem with the provision of the Constitution as it stands today and even the America that we are copying doesn’t have such provision in its Constitution.

“The job of a president is not a bricklayers’ job, it involves intellect and vision for the development of the country.”

The Senate further countered Babalola’s belief that legislators do not have much to do, hence, they should be placed part-time, noting that legislators do not only make laws but do other legislative activities including oversight.

Speaking on the part-time legislators, he said the legal luminary appeared not to understand the workings of the legislature.

“We are not only making laws, but we carry out oversight functions. We entertain the views of our constituents because we are not in a military era where somebody with a military fiat will come out with a new system of government without following due process,” he said.

He advised the respected legal luminary to wait till the 10th National Assembly before coming up with his personal opinion for consideration.

“All these things would have been suggested during the call for memoranda preparatory to Constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, he did not come up with any suggestions during the ongoing Constitutional amendment.

“If he is so passionate about the suggestion he is making now, he should wait for the next Assembly where he will have opportunity to submit his personal opinion for consideration,” he stated.

Babalola’s Call for Interim Government Invitation Anarchy – Uzodinma

Similarly, the Governor of Imo State,  Hope Uzodinma, on Tuesday criticized legal icon, Afe Babalola’s (SAN) call for a six-month interim national government in place of election at the expiration of President Buhari’s term as an invitation to anarchy.

Uzodinma urged those who have alternative views to the constitution to go through the National Assembly rather than an interim government arrangement that can lead the nation to crisis.

The Imo Governor wondered how the interim government would be selected with no election to replace the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari since the constitution did not make provision for an interregnum.

Uzodinma spoke to State House correspondents shortly after a meeting at the Presidential Villa, on Tuesday.

According to him, “By May 29, if there is no elected government, our constitution has not provided for an interregnum. There shouldn’t be a gap, otherwise you are creating room for anarchy.

“What will be the process of selecting the interim government because after May 29, the president may not have constitutional powers to function as a president anymore? So, I don’t think we will decide to abandon our constitution.

“Constitution is like the Bible. To some of us who are Christians, the Bible is the manager of our faith. So, the Constitution should be the instrument guiding our actions as a country.

“If you think there is an opinion that is worthy to be canvassed, superior to what is in the Nigerian constitution, such opinion should be taken to the National Assembly and they will through due process amend our constitution to factor in such an opinion.”

Uzodinma who also spoke on the increasing spate of attacks in Imo communities insisted that the killings were sponsored by desperate politicians.

He disclosed that he briefed the President on the unprovoked gunmen attack at the Continuous Voters Registration at Ihitte Uboma where an INEC staff, Anthony  Nwokorie, was murdered in cold blood.

The governor said that two of the gunmen who carried out the Ihitte-Uboma, are now in custody of the police and are assisting the police with the investigation.

According to him, the INEC registration Centre was attacked by gunmen whose attempt to attack the Okigwe Correctional Centre was frustrated with adequate intelligence and security arrangement.

“On the incident that happened which involved the INEC staff, regrettably INEC was not the target. We had the intelligence that the Correctional Center facility in Okigwe was to be attacked by bandits.

“We recorded their conversation and fortified the Correctional Center for safety.

And true to it, the bandits, approaching Okigwe, saw how fortified the place was, tried to escape through Ihitte Uboma and ran into INEC staff when they were doing continuous voters registration. It was out of that anger and frustration, that they (bandits) attacked them.

“You must have heard that two of the bandits have been arrested and are helping the Nigerian police and Imo State Government to do a very thorough investigation and until that is done, I will not say much on that.”

Uzodinma further said that he was never in doubt that about those sponsoring the banditry in the country.

He dismissed the claim in some quarters that the ruling party might be behind the banditry wondering how many opposition states are under the kind of attack being witnessed in Kaduna every day.

“Then on the issue of the sponsor of banditry by APC, I want us to look at the issue of banditry in Nigeria holistically. If anybody is telling you that the government in power is sponsoring banditry, how and why?

“How can anybody even think of a government sponsoring banditry in a country that it is in charge. If that is correct, assuming that is a possibility, how many states governed by opposition parties are under this kind of attack that we hear from Kaduna every day; that we get from Imo state every day, that we get from Ebonyi state.

So, if we are the ones, why are we attacking our own states? Why are we going to be enemies and opposition to our own governments. Among those that have been killed and houses that were attacked, how many of those buildings belong to opposition party?

“Am I supposed to be attacking and burning down my own house? Or do you think Ebonyi governor will burn down his own house? Or the Kaduna governor will burn down facilities in his government?

“So, we should be able to ask questions, not only as media practitioners but as Nigerian citizens. I just use this medium to call on Nigerian politicians to play politics without bitterness and stop letting blood here and there in the name of looking for power. “I am no longer in doubt, as to who are the sponsors of banditry in Nigeria. Those who want to make Nigeria ungovernable cannot be the people governing Nigeria, currently.

“After all, we don’t have election this year. Election should start by next year. So, for complete one year, APC government is in power and will not encourage any disruption,” he said.