An elder statesman and senior lawyer, Robert Clarke, SAN, On Monday in Abuja stated that President Buhari’s tenure should be extended.
According to him, the president need more time to address insecurity in the country so as to ensure a safe exercise during the 2023 election.
Speaking on Arise Television programme, he noted that the Constitution provided the President to extend his tenure for six months in the first instance if conditions were not ripe for an election.
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He, however, warned that the nation may not scale through 2023 if nothing was done before the elections.
“The Constitution provides that the President can stay longer than eight years. I’ve always said it. It is in the Constitution. If the situation in which we’re in now continues, and it is impossible to vote in the 2023 election, the constitution says if a situation persists, the President will write INEC in view of all insurgencies, in view of kidnappings, in view of Boko Haram, I don’t think in these different areas of Nigeria, we can have a good election.
The Constitution says I am going to stay for six months and in the first instance. So, the fact that the Constitution says the president cannot stay for more than eight years is wrong. Because the same constitution says he can give himself six months if those conditions persist.
Now, I don’t see any green light. I don’t see how what is happening today can be stopped within a period of six months from today or before February next year when the elections will be held.
The alternative then is for Mr. President to continue as president, allow the security watches to carry up the mopping up and Nigeria will become stable.
Because I swear to God Almighty, without stability in Nigeria, without security, Nigeria is going nowhere. No foreigner will bring his money and put in any business in Nigeria, when he knows that any of his expatriates who are sent to Nigeria can be kidnapped at any time. So, until all these things are sorted out, I don’t see any green light.”
If nothing happens before the elections, God forbids, this country will be in flames,” Clarke was quoted as saying
