Okotie who demanded the job on an interim basis called on the presidential candidates of all the political parties to step down for him
By Kehinde Okeowo
Reverend Chris Okotie, clergyman and Founder of Household of God Church, has implored the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to jettison elections and hand over governance to him on an interim basis.
He also called on the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Party, Bola Tinubu and Labour Party, Peter Obi, and candidates of other political parties to step down for him.
Okotie made the call on Sunday, June 19 while speaking to press men at his church headquarters in Oregun, Ikeja during the celebration of his 63rd birthday.
The one time singer also called for a change of the political system from a presidential system to a more realistic and cost effective federalism system of government.
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He also noted that the executive and legislative arms of government at the state and federal levels are a complete waste of resources and pledged to abolish them when he assumes power.
Explaining the rationale behind his request, Okotie noted that he had proposed to become the interim president because that was the “solution” for the country’s challenges.
Okotie said, “I want to appeal to all presidential candidates to withdraw from the race and allow me to come in as the interim president. I want to implore Asiwaju to support my government for the betterment of the country and I also want to tell Obi that the system that introduced him cannot take him anywhere, because he cannot operate in the system we have now. All the presidential candidates should support me to succeed President Buhari as the interim president.
“We must also rise above tribe and religion because there is an imbalance in the country and we are not practising federalism instead, what we are practising is a presidential system of government. Since 1999, things have been declining because the presidential system of government we are practising has failed us.
“We must get rid of the National and State Assemblies because maintaining each member cost the country billions of naira. Some of the standing committees at both assemblies are not useful to the country, they are only representing themselves, not the populace.
“For the best of the country, both assemblies should be scrapped and the money for maintaining them should be used for something else. What we have in Nigeria today is the government of the party, by the party, and for the party.
“Ministers and the Commissioners should also be expunged because Nigeria’s democracy has been hijacked by the elite for their interest and they are deceiving the downtrodden who don’t know anything. And the most important of all is our constitution. It should be changed to a people-oriented constitution, not the military one we have now. After the change, we can then restructure the country for the better.”
The clergyman insisted he is the best candidate to right the wrongs in the country, saying his plan after taking over will be to return the country to its citizens who have been short changed.
He went on to state that as a president of the country he will channel the energies of young men currently engaging in internet fraud to more creative ICT ventures and will ensure resource control.
“If I am made the interim president, our government will be a transparent one and we will redirect the steps of the youth who are into internet fraudsters and turn them to better persons in the society and empower them.
“While a young person with inclination to technology advancement will ensure financial accountability of government and each state will have control of their national resources. First, we emulated the British and now we are copying the American style of democracy that didn’t take us anywhere.
“The presidential system of government has failed us woefully. We should enable professional associations constitutionally to acquire legislative power as a replacement for the removal of the legislature from our political system.
“And we should also embrace the concept of aboriginal democracy, that is a government from the people, for the people, and with the people. This is distinct from the current experience of political parties which is the government of the party, the party, and for the party.
“My government will be that of National Reconciliation and Reconstruction. The interim government shall address aberrations and anomalies in the polity. I want to implore all Nigerians to join hands in the conversations that would enable a transition to an interim government at the end of President Buhari’s administration” he added.