An elder statesman and chieftain of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has advocated that the country should have a caretaker government that would be led by the incumbent President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, before the conduct of new election.

He said such a government will afford the country the opportunity of implementing the resolutions of the National Conference.

Speaking with National Mirror in Lagos, Adebanjo said there is the need to give room for President Jonathan to implement the resolutions of the National Conference which he has pledged to implement before the country could go for any new election, saying having a caretaker committee for say a year would not be a bad idea.

Hear him: “Why I say he should implement the new constitution is because the opposition doesn’t believe in the new constitution. They were opposed to the confab and resolutions of the confab are opposed to by the leading members of the APC. We are being realistic. He convokes it, let him implement it. Let us ensure that it is not going to be business as usual.

“After sitting for three months at the national confab we now go and hold election under the old constitution, then when will the new constitution come to effect or those who have been elected would say let us use our own term before we begin the implementation of the confab. Why don’t we have an emergency government or caretaker government or whatever it is called. May be for a year or may be six months.

“I am giving you my own idea, but my idea is not sacrosanct. That is how I am thinking aloud.

“To me if it will warrant the extension of tenure of Jonathan for six months, or for nine months, to get these things established, no problem. It is a sacrifice that worth it. Whether you say it is an extension or whatever, you must have a Nigeria before you rule it.”

He said the problem of the country is that those who can move the country forward are scattered in the political parties.

•Credit: National Mirror. Photo shows Ayo Adebanjo.