Founder of Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos, Rev Chris Okotie has warned that Nigeria will collapse if he’s not allowed to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. He said to avert a national catastrophe, he, Okotie would have to head an interim government.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the pop star-turned cleric said the current political system in Nigeria, including the National Assembly, state assemblies and other government structures must be dismantled, noting that an interim administration headed by him would then midwife a brand new political system for the country.
What informed this strange talk about an interim government after Buhari that must be headed by you?
We are in a juncture in our political evolution that it becomes the logical and the next step to take. The presidential system of government that we have been operating for so many years now has failed woefully. We redefined democracy to be government of the party by the party for the party. To that extent, they excluded Nigerians from the entire process and that is why things have degenerated to the level that we see today. To bring democracy back to the people; to re-establish the parameters in which we operate as a federalism, to rekindle brotherhood, to avoid war, segregation, the interim government is the only next logical step to take.
When Chief Afe Babalola recently called for an interim government, he received knocks from across the country. Don’t you think Nigerians might stone you for calling for what some could be described as a ‘civilian coup’?
Not at all. What I’m proposing is inspiring a conversation in the country where all our people begin to talk about the problem that we face right now. When those conversations have been collated, I will send them as a transcript to the president and to the National Assembly so that they can energise the process that can lead to a transition, not from a regime to a regime, but from this regime to an interim government because Nigeria should be fixed.
