A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has
warned that the March 28 and April 11 elections may
be sabotaged by anti-democratic forces, which could
lead the military to stage a coup d’etat and set in
place an interim government.
Mr. Falana, who stated this in a speech delivered at
the Foursquare Gospel Church owned Life
Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, on Sunday, said
despite assurances by President Goodluck Jonathan
and the Independent National Electoral Commission,
there was no indication that the election will hold as
billed.
He also warned of the likelihood of post-election
violence should the vote go forward.
Both President Jonathan and the Independent
Electoral Commission chair, Attahiru Jega, have
maintained that the new election dates are
sacrosanct.
“There is no indication that the election will hold,” he
said. “If the INEC goes ahead with the conduct of the
elections there are fears that the exercise may be
sabotaged by anti-democratic forces. If the election
holds the results may be rejected leading to a post-
election violence which may threaten the corporate
existence of the nation.
“In the circumstance, an interim government may be
established and be saddled with the task of preparing
the country for another political transition. In the
alternative, a coup d’etat that may be staged by the
top echelon of the armed forces under the pretext of
restoring law and order and fighting the menace of
insurgency. The military wing of the ruling parties
succeeded in Mali and Burkina Faso. But having
divided the country along ethnic and religious lines,
the masterminds of the political crisis are not likely
to profit from the perfidy.”
He therefore, asked Nigerians to prepare “for a long
drawn out battle for the liberation of the country
from political and economic predators”.
In his speech, the lawyer commended the renewed
onslaught against the deadly terror group, Boko
Haram, in the North-East region of Nigeria by both
the federal government and the Nigerian military.
He, however, asked the military to discontinue the
court martial of several solders who had earlier
complained about lack of sophisticated weapons to
face the insurgents.
He said the government’s admittance that it
purchased new equipment for the fight to succeed,
meant that the soldiers were justified in the earlier
protest.
He also asked the Federal Government to implement
the recommendations of the Ambassador Usman
Gilmatiri presidential panel on insurgency in the
north east region and embark on a special
programme to address the problems of child
education and youth unemployment in the region.
On the state of the nation’s economy, Mr. Falana said
the bulk of the intervention funds created by the
Goodluck Jonathan-led administration was for the
rich.
According to Mr. Falana, the funds including-
Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (N69billion);
Commercial Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme
(N200billion); the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk
Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (N200billion)
; Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Guarantee
Scheme (N200billion); the SMEs Restructuring and
Refinancing Scheme (N200billion) and Power and
Airlines Intervention Fund (N300billion) are yet to
have effect on the economy.
“Sequel to the crash in the price of crude oil the
Federal Government announced that austerity
measures would be imposed on the hapless Nigerian
people,” he said. “Because of the gross
mismanagement of the economy by the government
and its allies workers are now salaries for months.
After the elections the people are going to be made
to bear the brunt of the looting of the treasury and
costs of running the government.
“But in spite of the grinding poverty in the land
Nigerian legislators are said to be the highest paid in
the world. The country’s public officers equally
receive the highest estacodes in the world. With over
10 aircraft Nigeria has the largest presidential fleet
among the developing nations in the world.”
The lawyer also accused the Central Bank of Nigeria
of “dollarization of the economy”.
“In a bid to dollarize the economy and destroys the
Nigerian economy the CBN supplies millions of
dollars to the foreign exchange market on a weekly
basis,” he said. “Although Nigeria has become the
largest importer of the United States dollars in the
world neither the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
nor the World Bank has ever questioned the reckless
devaluation of the economy. Even, the National
Assembly which is debating the 2015 Appropriation
Bill has not deemed it to consider the deleterious
effects of the increasing devaluation of the national
currency on the implementation of the Budget.”
The media was also not left out as Mr. Falana
accused the media of diverting attention from
Nigeria’s problem of youth unemployment,
infrastructural decay, insecurity, corruption, currency
devaluation to giving undue prominence to the
campaign of calumny and character assassination
embarked upon by some politicians.
“The media have thrown caution to the winds by
colluding with certain politicians to divert attention
from the crises of youth unemployment,
infrastructural decay, insecurity, corruption, currency
devaluation etc,” he said. “Thus, by giving undue
prominence to the campaign of calumny and
character assassination embarked upon by some
politicians the media have denied the Nigerian
people the opportunity to make informed decisions
on the candidates of their choice.” www.newspunch.org/jonathan-may-be-overthrown-before-saturdays-election-falana-raise-fresh-alarm/

Ntin will happen.GEJ till God knows wen

no need for all DAT, no violent dethronement

There is violence here and there already. What is the way forward for this nation?

Oga Falana kindly shut!!
Dis disguised politcian always seeking attention...

We dont want any phoney overthrow planned by the PDP to cover their shame

Overthrowing him would simply cover his shame.

Jonadumb must be shamed out of office

On Saturday its Sai Buhari

Falana no see court case and so he dhe busy dhe make noise. He shld go and rot in hell instead of deceiving all dis apc thugs.

Words of a paranoid mind

Which coup?

it seems many more people are going mad nowadays because of this election.

menix:
Oga Falana kindly shut!!
Dis disguised politcian always seeking attention...

The guy is gradually losing his senses like buhari.

clevvermind:
The guy is gradually losing his senses like buhari.

I swear!!
Dat guy is bcomin a dunce.....

clevvermind:
The guy is gradually losing his senses like buhari.

mind you Buhari is old enough to be your father.
i also hope u can repeat that senseless talk of yours in his presence. Check his profile, i am sure non of your family member has attained such level.

If there is a coup hold all the oil well owners and Dangote responsible.

jahbiz:
mind you Buhari is old enough to be your father.
i also hope u can repeat that senseless talk of yours in his presence. Check his profile, i am sure non of your family member has attained such level.

i'm not lying against him na. bubari's brain is not functioning well due to old age.

You are also a big hypocrite. After insulting Jonathan countless times, you will come here and be forming a saint. Smh.

Oga falana, park Wεll
†нε election will hold ts saturday

jahbiz:
mind you Buhari is old enough to be your father.
i also hope u can repeat that senseless talk of yours in his presence. Check his profile, i am sure non of your family member has attained such level.

His problem is his background. He came from where they use leg to kick their fathers in order to wake them up. Especially when they are richer than their fathers

That would be a welcome development.

Anything that will save us from the clutches of Jonathan & Diezani Madueke will be greatly appreciated.

You know is impossible, or say you are scared of buhari lost and the tears you will shed soon

Scared of buhari lost and tears you will shed soon

Any soldier who stages a coup has signed his own death warrant.

He should be prepared to die like Ghadaffi...its as simple as that.

No time for nonsense. Jonathan you have gone to school for six years, and in your mind you have performed excellently, we shall give you your test scores on March 28.

Have you observed that the majority of those who are clamouring for Jonathan do so simply because of the "he is our kinsman" mentality.

Meeen those days are over men.

THIS IS TOTAL WASTE OF TIME.
GEJ TILL 2019

This charge and bail lawyer should go and chew ice blocks.

Lol. Hopefully.

When it happens, just send me his fedora hat. I will like to examine how his brain became so fried beyond any functionality whatsoever under the darn hat. Collector's item right there.

Jonny will be overthrown with our pvc on Saturday

I watching d drama to unfold
Till then

When we get to the bridge we will cross to the other side. No matter what happens we the people of Nigeria will triumph.
No retreat no surrender.
THE TIME IS HERE FOR NIGERIANS TO TAKE THEIR DESTINY BACK FROM THE CANKERWORMS.
VOTES FOR CHANGE.
NIGERIA IS VERY BLESSED THAT NO NIGERIAN SHOULD BE LIVING BELOW AVERAGE STANDARD.

If falana has no specifics to tell,it is better he keeps silent
You don't go around making unfounded claims.if he wants the good of his country why not name his source or name the people about to overthrow the government.why would he hide such an important information or take it to a newspaper instead of a police station.
He is supposed to be a lawyer abi?
I think he should be arrested and made to share what he knows

Kai na wa o this "so called" opposition pple have more intelligence report than d DSS CID POLICE all in the name of pulling this govt funy though d opposition seem 2 pple talking of dis kind of govt than anybody y can't 4 d scheduled date b4 dis kind of conclusion

lol

Please don't overthrow him.
We want to vote him out disgracefully