Nigeria alert over plot to mar presidential transition

Nigeria’s secret police have warned against an alleged plot being hatched by “misguided” politicians to put in place an interim government after 29 May when President Muhammadu Buhari leaves offices and hands over power to President-elect Bola Tinubu.

On Wednesday, the Department of State Services warned that it would do everything in its power to stop the plan, which it said was “unconstitutional and punishable by death”, local media reported.

DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya said the department had identified those behind the scheme to “thwart” democracy.

Mr Afunanya said the planners wanted to sponsor “endless violent mass protests in major cities, to warrant a declaration of a state of emergency”, and also “obtain frivolous court injunctions” to delay the presidential, legislative and state level inaugurations.

Earlier, Mr Tinubu had raised the alarm over a plot by some “aggrieved partisans” to truncate the transitional process.

However, opposition politicians say the DSS warning is intended to intimidate Nigerians and prevent them from seeking judicial redress over the disputed 25 February polls.