in Nigeria, saying it is illegal and unconstitutional. He explained that the constitution provides for a change of government through elections and that the idea of a government outside the constitutional framework amounts to a coup. He also questioned what law would regulate an interim government and suggested it would eventually lead to anarchy. Osigwe, a lawyer, argued that there are better ways to address Nigeria’s challenges, such as laying the country on sound principles of the rule of law, ensuring people have a sense of belonging wherever they may settle and access to jobs and political opportunities based on merit.
Regarding recent protests and attempts to obtain a court injunction to prevent the inauguration of the President-elect, Osigwe affirmed that peaceful protests should be protected by society and are part of the right to freedom of expression. He, however, noted that it would be surprising if any court granted an injunction to restrain a declared winner of an election from being sworn in. He further explained that if petitions are ongoing, the winners of the elections should still be sworn in, and if a court later gives an order to remove them, it will take effect if upheld by the Supreme Court. He suggested that petitions should be determined before swearing in, but challenging the victory of someone should not stop the winner from assuming power.
When asked about the potential threat to the judiciary, Osigwe agreed that there is a lot of bad behaviour that ends up at the doorstep of the judiciary, making them overworked. However, he noted that it is part of the government’s statutory function to settle disputes between the government and individuals and other authorities. Osigwe also criticized the Department of State Services’ handling of the matter by issuing a press statement, saying that it was unprofessional and did not put them in a good light. He suggested that if people were plotting to topple the government undemocratically, the DSS should arrest them, but after a week of making the statement, no arrest had been made, making it seem like the call was unfounded.
Osigwe stressed the need to address the maladies, bad policies, and nepotism experienced in governance and reward people based on merit. He believes that if Nigeria is laid on sound principles of the rule of law, and people are not made to feel like second-class citizens in any part of the country, the agitations and clamour to break away will be a thing of the past.
