By Suleiman Umaru
In spite of the repeated assurance by the President Muhammadu Buhari , of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, to transfer power to Asiwaju, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and the President-elect on May 29, 2023, there are fears in both official and official quarters that it may hit the rocks.
This is because of the news making the rounds of moves by some powerful politicians to install an interim National Government on Nigeria, ING, in Nigeria as obtained during the Administration of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, a retired Army General, in 1993.
The Department of State Security, DSS, under the close watch of Yusuf Magaji Bichi, may have hit the nail on the head when it revealed of plot to set aside the 199 Constitution as amended and install an ING, by some ‘’misguided political actors’’.
Peter Afunanya, DSS, spokesperson, may have shocked Nigerians on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, when he disclosed that ‘’ some key payers behind the secret plot to install an ING, and stop Tinubu, the President-elect of the APC, from being inaugurated as the next Nigerian President on May 29, 2023, have been identified and closely being monitored.

Unconfirmed report says that the list of the identified persons plotting for the installation of an ING, after the Katsina state born Nigerian President tenure has elapsed on May 29, 2023, include, a former Nigerian President from the south west geopolitical region, six ex- governors, two top serving security agents and an unnamed Presidential Candidate who lost at the February 25, 2023, Presidential polls.
Given that the secret police had confirmed that it has identified, the key players, plotting for the installation of an ING, on the country, Nigerians would want them, to name and arrest the culprits to avoid a repeat of what in 1993 incident, when an ING, was foisted on the country by General Babangida, rtd, instead of transferring power to the pressumed winner of the 1993, Presidential election, Late Moshood Kashamawo Abiola, popular, MKO.
Political analysts believe that it is not enough that for the secret police ‘’ to vow to use all the arsenals at its disposal to frustrate the plot’’, but should go a step further to apprehend the identified persons plotting for an installation of an ING, in the country and prosecute them.

Many believe that the secret police spokesperson Statement about the plot to install an ING, in Nigeria in May 29, 2023, was not unconnected to a petition forwarded to the security agenc by Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and minister of State, Labour and Employment, that it should invite Atiku Abubakar , a former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party , in the just concluded 2023, Presidential election and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and the Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, for questioning for their rejection of the result of the February 25, 2023 ,poll, decared by the Independent National Commission, INEC, Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, confirming Tinubu, the flag bearer of the APC, as the winner and the President elect.
More troubles for Atiku, the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, under the Chairmanship of Umar Danladi, acting on the minister’s petition is set commence investigation on the former Vice President over the alleged diversion of public funds while in office through Special Purpose Vehicles, SPV.
Timi Frank, a former National Publicity Secretary of the APC, had said that the much talked about plot to foist an ING, in Nigeria, was a ploy by the DSS and Usman Alkali Baba, led Nigerian Police Force, NPF, to arrest the duo, Atkiku, the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, during the last Presidential election, who believes that he won and Obi, his counterpart , in the LP, who also believes that he won the election but was rigged out with INEC, officials, before May 29, 2023.
Indeed, the LP, Leadership may have known that Obi, the party flag bearer, in the 2023, general elections, who is pursuing to reclaim his mandate freely given to him by Nigerians through the legal process is the target of the DSS, that Yunusa Tanko, the party spokesperson has come out to tell the public that the party is not ‘’plotting any insurrection ‘’, describing ‘’the development as a conspiracy against the state’’.
The LP, spokesperson was said to have accused the DSS and other security agencies personnel of not ‘’protecting the interest of the Nigerian state during and after the elections’’, claiming that the party supporters, were disfranchised in Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve centre and other states of the Federation but not nothing was about it.
Appealing to the DSS and other Law Enforcement agencies come out and protect the LP, supporters , even if they are on the streets protesting , he stated that the party is not mobilizing people ‘’to come out on the streets to fight’’.
Tanko, the LP, spokesperson, was said to have given his words that ‘’the party won’t do anything that is against the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but would follow due process in addressing its grievances’’. He was emphatic that the party is ready ‘’to follow the rules and Laws of the country’s democratic setting’’in whatever it is doing to reclaim its mandate.

Tinubu, the President –elect may not be amused by security reports that the duo, Atiku and Obi, who are engaged in a legal tussle, with him over the outcome of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election are plotting for the installation of an ING, in Nigeria. Recall that prior to the Presidential polls the former Lagos state governor had raised alarm that there are plans ‘’to provoke Nigerians to violence, so that the election will be disrupted and postponed, so that they can cunningly introduce an ING’’.
He was emphatic that ‘’there is a plot by some saboteurs to stop the 2023, general elections from holding. The President-elect who could not hide his feelings had said that ‘’the fuel scarcity and the redesign of the N200, N500 and N1000, bank Notes , was a ploy to provoke Nigerians to violence and which could have given the plotters room to form an ING’’.
According to him the ‘’fifth columnists who are behind the current nationwide fuel and naira Notes scarcity want ‘’to throw the country into a political crisis to achieve their aim of foisting an ING, in Nigeria. He may have alluded To Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and Abubakar Malami, A san and minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation .
Gov.Simon Lalong, of Plateau state , had described those ‘’advocating for an ING, after May 29, 2023, as ‘’day dreaming’’, stating that the supporters of the ING, are working against ‘’ the principle of democracy which the Nigerian President has vowed to uphold’’.
The governor may have been forced to speak out after a recent meeting at the Presidential Villa with the President and to use the opportunity to reassure Nigerians that there is no cause for alarm as the May 29, 2023, date, handover date, remains unchanged. Hear him: Buhari will transfer power to Tinubu, another democratically elected President as expected on May 29, 2023.
Last Thursday, Kashim Shettima, Vice President-elect, had visited Minna, Capital of Niger state, to consult the duo, retired General Babangida and Abdusalami Abubakar, both former Heads of State, over the alleged plot by some unnamed politicians to install an ING, as uncovered by the DSS
.The Vice President –elect was said to have sought the support of the two elder statesmen for Tinubu, the President-elect, urging them not throw their weight behind any move to install, an ING in Nigeria. He may have left Minna, back to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, after the talks with the two retired Army Generals and former military Heads of State without getting a firm promise from them or to support Tinubu, the President –elect.