Interim govt insinuation treasonable, says Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, said on Sunday in Abuja, that it was treasonable for anybody to insinuate the possibility of an interim government, stressing that it was also unconstitutional.

Jonathan, in a goodwill message at the opening of the Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said that he was convinced that Nigeria would remain stable.

The president said that at the risk of being accused of campaigning in a church, that he must give clarification to the worrying issue of interim government.

“Interim government is not known to the Nigerian constitution, as a nation, we don’t have a constitutional court, we only have a Supreme Court; I don’t have powers to redefine our constitution.

“There is no way Goodluck Jonathan who was elected by the people with a clear mandate will now go and head an interim government without a mandate.

“The only interim government that anybody can contemplate is a military government which of course will not be accepted.

“ECOWAS will not accept it that is why we forced Burkina Faso to take the decision they took; AU will not accept it, the UN will not accept it and Nigerians will not in this present generation accept it.

“So any insinuation about interim government is treasonable and people should not talk about it.

“Elections will be conducted as scheduled by INEC,” he said.

Jonathan noted that Nigeria has had its fair share of insecurity which also led to the postponement of the election but there was no going back on the new dates.

Jonathan, who expressed worry over the kind of media reports, especially by the social media, stressed that the nation must remain stable.

“ The kind of statements we read in the media especially in the social media, sometimes you begin to get worried; is Nigeria going up in flames?

“But I am convinced that this country will continue to be stable,” he said.