The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) on Thursday rejected calls in some quarters for an interim national government (ING), saying that would stunt the growth of democracy in the country.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.
There have been calls from some quarters for Tinubu not to be sworn in while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) and their candidates have filed petitions at the tribunal against his victory.
Daily Trust reports that the call for ING has generated tension with the Department of State Services (DSS) saying it discovered plots to frustrate the swearing-in ceremony.
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Answering questions from newsmen yesterday after the joint meeting of PFN’s Advisory Council and National Executives held at its headquarters in Lagos, the President of PFN, Bishop Wole Oke, urged those aggrieved with the outcome of the election to pursue their grievances in court.
He said, “Let Nigeria be and let democracy grow. PFN as a body, we say no categorically to the interim national government; that is not needed. We are not in a situation where that is required, so let’s give peace a chance.
“Calling for an interim government is national anarchy, is to invite confusion and abort a nascent democracy. Democracy evolves and then matures; everybody should give peace a chance so that our democratic move is not truncated.”
“We don’t need an interim national government; there is no reason for it. In every election, it is not everybody that wins or loses. The winner should be magnanimous in victory and the losers should be gallant because if you lose today, you can win tomorrow.”
“So, let’s be patient and allow the judiciary to finish its work and come together to promote peace in oneness,” he added