I cannot rule under an Interim government – President Jonathan

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan says he cannot rule the country under an interim government and that it is treasonable.

President Jonathan stated this in an address at an inter-denominational service at the start of the Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Abuja on Sunday.

He said that Interim Government was not known to the Nigerian constitution and that there was no way he would head an interim government.

“Interim government is not known to the Nigerian constitution. There is no way President Jonathan, an elected President will head an interim government”, he insisted.

`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.

The Nigerian President stressed that interim government was not only unacceptable to Nigerians but also to the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the African Union, A. U. and the international community.

“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.

President Good luck Jonathan reiterated that the 29th May, 2015 hand over date was sacrosanct, saying that elections would hold as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on the 28th March and 11th April, this year.

Stressing his belief in the country, the Nigerian leader insisted that his or any other person’s interest could not be greater than the country.

“I am convinced that the country will be stable. I will not do anything that will jeopardize our nation. The country is bigger than any person or his interests”, he maintained.