The Minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has countered claim by Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El Rufai that some northerners and cabals are working on the possibility of an interim administration to succeed President Mohammadu Buhari in May.
El Rufai, in a broadcast on Thursday claimed that the forces behind fuel shortage and currency swap which had caused untold hardship nationwide, intend “to sustain the climate of shortage of fuel, food and other necessities, leading to mass protests, violence and breakdown of law and order that would provide a fertile foundation for a military take-over.”
Lai Mohammed explained on a television programme on Friday that the Federal Government was unaware of such plan.
Speaking on a TVC live programme, “This Morning”, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the claim was the handwork of fifth columnist, planning to destabilize the country.
The minister explained that the 2023 elections would be conducted free and fair and the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu would emerge victorious.
“Tinubu will win the 2023 Presidential election. APC will succeed itself and there will be no interim government because we have no intention to stay a day after the end of the tenure of this administration.
“As a matter of fact, President Muhammadu Buhari has already constituted a transition committee and by the grace of God, we will hand over to the APC candidate, no matter the conspiracy theories all around.
“The APC Presidential candidate is everywhere and he has campaigned more than other candidates.
“The president, the party and the government are also solidly behind him,” he said.
According to the Minister, Tinubu had prepared for the position he is presently vying for more than 20 years back.
He said from the time Tinubu formed Alliance for Democracy till the time the party merged and metamorphosed to APC, the presidential candidate had been building bridges across the country.
Beside establishing structure across the country, the Minister stated that Tinubu had been supporting and sponsoring candidates in Northern, Southern and Eastern states of the country.
Mohammed also said the claim in certain quarters that Buhari was a passive supporter of Tinubu was wrong and the handiwork of mischief makers.
He stated that people failed to understand that the president wore two caps as president of the nation and the leader of the ruling APC, adding that Buhari spoke as the president of the country, when he said he would not favour any candidate at the election, which was misunderstood by people.
“At the appropriate rostrum when Buhari led the Presidential campaign train in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the president raised Tinubu’s hand up and declare him his successor.
“What will Buhari and the party benefit in not supporting Tinubu to become president?
“It will be suicidal for anybody in the government not to support Tinubu because if any other party wins, it will be a hostile takeover.
“If Tinubu does not become the president, the greatest loss will be for APC, therefore, it is not in our interest to put stumbling block in his winning the polls,.”
Mohammed said the pains of the aftermath of the Naira redesign would be short-lived and it was not a deliberate policy by the government to create hurdles for his successor.
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