Arrest Atiku, Peter Obi, Others Over Interim Govt Plot – Fani-Kayode Tells DSS

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, over the plot to allegedly force an Interim Government.

Fani-Kayode stated this while reacting to a security alert by the Department of State Services (DSS) that some misguided politicians are planning to scuttle the May 29 handover to the incoming government.

In a lengthy post issued via his verified Twitter handle on Thursday, Fani-Kayode expressed sadness that Atiku, Obi, and their running mates are openly calling for a return to the dark days.

He said the calls for an interim government by members of the opposition are outrageous, subversive, and dangerous, adding that the calls are acts of treason, rebellion, and insurrection.

Fani-Kayode also urged the DSS to arrest and charge to court some young men and women that participated in Tuesday’s protest in Abuja and allegedly called for a coup d’etat.

He wrote: “When one couple the calls for a coup d’etat with the words of Dati Baba Ahmed, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, on Channels Television last week when he said that he had no faith in the courts and election tribunals, that the swearing-in of President-elect Tinubu as President would be an invitation to a military coup, that Tinubu is a Mafia Don that is deeply involved in organised crime and that his swearing-in would be a danger to “all our lives”, one gets the message and can connect the dots of this great conspiracy.

“The Atiku group through their numerous spokespersons have said equally disturbing things including consistently calling the President-elect a “Pablo Escobar-like drug baron” in order to incite the people, the international community, the civil society, the people of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Armed Forces against him.

“Outside of that the opposition has also targetted INEC and the Nigerian Judiciary for a campaign of calumny, demonisation, and destruction and they have engaged and induced elements in the international community, including politicians, leaders, businessmen, diplomats, international institutions, and both local and foreign NGO’s, who they have misled and fed with the most horrendous lies and propaganda, to assist them.

“It is time for the intelligence and security agencies and the Buhari administration to rise to the occasion and face the challenge of these subversive and destabilising elements squarely and with a very firm hand.

“They should arrest those that appear to be behind this evil plot including Peter Obi, Dati Baba Ahmed, Atiku Abubakar, Ifeanyi Okowa, and their numerous spokesmen, associates, and foreign collaborators in order to find out exactly what their role is in this matter and the part, if any, that they are playing in it.

“They should also identify, ascertain and arrest their collaborators, both foreign and local, in this treasonous plot. None of them enjoys immunity and none of them is above the law.

“Shielding and protecting them from being held accountable for their utterances and actions and for supporting anarchy, chaos, treason, and rebellion is becoming increasingly dangerous and does not augur well for the peace and stability of our country.

“It is also important to arrest and charge to court those young men and women that participated in Tuesday’s protest and openly called for a coup d’etat in order to deter others from doing so.

“Failure to do this will encourage others to do the same and suggest that there is far more to the whole thing than meets the eye.”

Fani-Kayode said the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC) had raised the alarm over the plot for an interim government month ago, stating that nobody took the alarm seriously.

He added: “We have warned about these sinister plots and plans for months and well before the presidential elections but no one took us seriously and it was to no avail.

“Now the signs are obvious and ominous and it is clear that there is something evil afoot. It is heartwarming and encouraging that the DSS, as alive to their duties as ever, finally issued a statement yesterday in which they vindicated us.

“They confirmed the fact that there were some elements within the political class that were planning to use violence to impose an Interim National Government and went on to not only warn those that seek to implement this hidden agenda but also to assure those of us that are against it that they would take strong measures and move against them.

“This is vital in order for us to protect and save our democracy from those that seek to truncuate it and establish an unconstitutional form of Government in its stead.

“It is incumbent upon us all as democrats to speak out in support of the DSS and to help them thwart the evil plans of the unscrupulous conspirators, dangerous plotters, unpatriotic elements and fascistic forces that want to topple our Government and abort the democratic process.

“Those of us that are politicians and that still believe in democracy must stop being lazy, cowardly, undiscerning, insensitive and complacent in the face of this challenge.

“We must appreciate the fact that there is a major play going in the background and it is not yet uhuru. We must stop pretending that we do not know what is going on and we must desist from sitting on the fence and hedging our bets.

“We must rise to the occasion that this challenge and very real danger and threat present and we must defend and preserve democracy by resisting the forces of chaos, anarchy, and tyranny.

“As a senior citizen, a former public office holder, a public figure, and a major stakeholder in the Asiwaju project, I can no longer sit by idly and stomach this nonsense. It would be irresponsible and cowardly to do so.“