A senior lawyer, Chief Robert Clarke, on Monday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his tenure by six months.
Mr Clarke disclosed this when he featured on ARISE Television.
He argued that the months preceding the 2023 elections are not sufficient to tackle insecurity, making the conduct of election possible.
He said the Nigerian Constitution provides that the President can extend his tenure for six months, in the first instance, if he feels that conditions are not good to carry out elections.
Chief Clarke said: “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 be giving himself six 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 forbid, this country will be in flames.”
Earlier, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, had asked Buhari to suspend the 2023 general elections and empannel an interim government by May 2023.
Chief Babalola said the interim government should be in office for six months to chart a new constitutional course for Nigeria.
