From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Elder statesman, Robert Clarke, has called for six months tenure extension for President Muhammadu Buhari to enable him tackle the nation’s problems before the 2023 election.
The senior lawyer made the call on Arise Television programme, yesterday, arguing that the few months remaining before the elections were not sufficient to put an end to insecurity to allow peaceful conduct of elections across the country.
Clarke’s demand for tenure elongation for Buhari followed a similar suggestion by another legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola for the suspension of the 2023 general elections while an interim government is instituted at the expiration of President Buhari’s term in May 2023.
Clarke, however, hinged his call on the provisions in the Constitution that the president can extend his tenure for six months in the first instance if he felt the conditions were not favourable for the conduct of 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 are in now continues, and it is impossible to vote in the 2023 election, the Constitution says if a situation persists, the president will tell INEC that 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.”