In what now appears to be a periodic slew of panic alerts, the presidency has accused some unnamed religious leaders and past political leaders of planning to hold an illegal conference to cast a vote of no confidence against President Muhammadu Buhari, with a view to overthrowing his government.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday.

In similar fashion, Mr Buhari, via Mr Adesina, had in January raised an alarm to say some journalists have connived with some unnamed foreign sources to commence a smear campaign against him and his government.

That alarm was preceded by an earlier complaint last December where the presidency also claimed political enemies of the president have secured the services of an “offshore medium” to launch campaigns of calumny against President Buhari.

The latest alarm said some disgruntled religious and past political leaders are planning to wreak havoc on the nation’s sovereignty and the corporate existence of the country.

“The Department of State Services (DSS), on Sunday alerted on sinister moves by misguided elements to wreak havoc on the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of the country.

“Championed by some disgruntled religious and past political leaders, the intention is to eventually throw the country into a tailspin, which would compel a forceful and undemocratic change of leadership,” the statement from Mr Adesina read.

He added that evidence shows that these leaders are now recruiting ethnic groups and politicians across the country to organise the said conference.

“Further unimpeachable evidence shows that these disruptive elements are now recruiting the leadership of some ethnic groups and politicians round the country, with the intention of convening some sort of conference, where a vote of no confidence would be passed on the President, thus throwing the land into further turmoil.

“The caterwauling, in recent times, by these elements, is to prepare the grounds adequately for their ignoble intentions, which are designed to cause further grief for the country.”

It was also noted in the statement that the leaders are working with foreign elements, and are trying to achieve what they could not during the last election and warned them that their action would be treasonable.

“The agent provocateurs hope to achieve through artifice and sleight of hands, what they failed to do through the ballot box in the 2019 elections. Nigerians have opted for democratic rule, and the only accepted way to change a democratically elected government is through elections, which hold at prescribed times in the country. Any other way is patently illegal, and even treasonable. Of course, such would attract the necessary consequences.

“These discredited individuals and groups are also in cahoots with external forces to cause maximum damage in their own country. But the Presidency, already vested with mandate and authority by Nigerians till 2023, pledges to keep the country together, even if some unruly feathers would be ruffled in the process.”