TheCable

Yunusa Tanko, the spokesperson of the Labour Party (LP), says the party is not plotting an insurrection.

On Wednesday, the Department of State Services (DSS) said it confirmed a plot “by some key players” to install an interim government in the country.

The secret police alleged that some protests against the outcome of the presidential elections were being sponsored by vested interests.

Reacting on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, Tanko described the development as a “conspiracy against the state” in which the LP had no part.

However, the LP spokesperson accused the DSS of not reacting to attacks on his party members during the elections but only speaking afterward.

“When we went on the streets to campaign and our members were maimed and attacked, where was the DSS? When our member was killed, where was the DSS? When MC Oluomo made inflammatory statements saying people of certain tribes should not come to vote in Lagos, nobody said anything. In fact, it was alluded that the statement was a joke. He wasn’t invited by the DSS,” Tanko said.

“Is it now that the Nigerian people are speaking to defend the sovereignty of the country that the DSS is making statements?

“For us, we are following the due provisions of the federal republic of Nigeria. Protests are part of the democratic system. In fact, the DSS and the security agencies should come out and protect us even if we are on the streets protesting.

“We are ready to follow the rules of engagement in our democratic setting. That is why we went to court. We are not making any inflammatory statements or mobilising anybody to come out on the streets to fight.

“We are not part of any insurrection plans whatsoever. But what I am saying is that we would protect the interest of Nigerian people based on the provisions of the law which provides that where you are hurting, you have the right to protest and that you would do so with the defence and protection of the Nigerian security apparatus. That is what we would do but we would not support any insurrection in any way.”

TheCable had reported that Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of the LP, said Nigeria has no president-elect for now.

Baba-Ahmed claimed that Bola Tinubu did not meet the constitutional requirements to become Nigeria’s president.

He also asked Olukayode Ariwoola, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), not to participate in the swearing-in of Tinubu as president over what he described as a “violation” of the constitution.