Lagos — Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria declared yesterday that they reject the perpetration of lawlessness by a clique and decried suggestions of take-over of power by the armed forces following the continued absence of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on medical grounds.

A statement signed by the CSOs said: "We note the vacuum created in the day-to-day running of government due to the president's failure to transmit powers to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as constitutionally stipulated. However, we cannot afford an unconstitutional seizure of power at this time of our nascent democracy as this will only aggravate the situation and plunge the nation into chaos."

They said they were particularly disturbed by the activities of a clique in and out of government that is determined to hold this nation by the jugular and has continued to feed Nigerians half-truths on the true state of the president's health.

"These actions have been compounded by the National Assembly, which, rather than invoke relevant sections of the Constitution that will get the nation back on the path of genuine democracy, has handled the entire issue in an inept manner that has not only tarnished the image of the country, but also made it a laughing stock in the committee of civilised nations," the statement said.

The statement signed by Dele Daramole, Oodua Liberation Movement, Adewale Adeoye, Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER), Francis Abayomi, Peace and Development Projects (PEDP), Kehinde Adegbuyi, Community Peoples Action Against AIDS and Seyi Fayemi, GREPNET, noted that the Constitution is clear on the way forward.

"Unconstitutional actions have never resolved issues that are best resolved by the rule of law. The conflagration in the Niger Delta which the Federal Government's amnesty programme has put a check on is a direct fallout of imposing a military option on a purely constitutional issue," they said.

They added that Nigerians could not afford to go back to the trenches that will force some people out again, especially through the now-famous NADECO route which popular citizens like Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, took to run away from the country.

The release noted: "We join our voices to the teeming number of Nigerians that have said that national interest must override all personal and sectional interests in restating our objection to any suggestion of unconstitutional take-over of power by the armed forces.

"The military must remain within the confines of their constitutional responsibility which is the protection of Nigeria's territorial integrity and all forms of external aggression."

They said it was okay that the Chief of Army Staff and the Army spokesperson have reiterated the military's desire to focus on their constitutional roles of securing our lives.

While urging the National Assembly to immediately initiate the process of the transfer of presidential powers to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, they added: "Nigeria needs a leader today, we cannot continue to flounder like a ship without direction on the high seas."