Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Yobe State , Alhaji Umar Kukuri, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to hand over power on May 29.
Kukuri, who spoke in Damaturu, the state capital, said: “The May 28 handover proposal has generated arguments with a lot of suspicions and interpreted negatively. So, Mr President should complete the 24-hour difference and hand over power to the president-elect on May 29 to sustain the statesmanship he demonstrated during the election.
“President Jonathan has earned himself international respect when he conceded defeat and congratulated Gen. Buhari. He should sustain this for the remaining period of his administration and beyond.
“Handing over power on May 29 will erase every suspicion, fear of creating vacuum and the judicial interpretation to the difference between May 28 and May 29.’’
According to Kukuri, Nigerians are united towards peaceful transition after the peaceful elections, so, the traditional handover date of May 29 should be respected’’, he said.
He urged the two transition committees of the outgoing and incoming governments to give priority to national interest.
The chairman called on all stakeholders to support a smooth transition from Goodluck to Buhari to consolidate the achievements recorded in the just- concluded election.
“The security agencies should also support a successful transition, every Nigerian has a role to play in ensuring a peaceful and successful transition for Nigeria’s democracy to become a role model in Africa.’’
He expressed optimism that the issue will be resolved easily. “l do not see this as a problem, but it seems to be generating serious arguments, l am sure it will be resolved amicably’’, he said.
