Ahead Of 2027 Elections, Ken Okonkwo Rates Tinubu's Performance Low | Inside Sources

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:04]Welcome back to sources. Today I have back my very good friend and the leading ADC stalwart who has been doing some real damage to the ruling party. Uh Mr. Ken Okono is a a lawyer and is also uh NWC member of the ADC the main opposition party. Ken, good to see you again. It's my pleasure always and thank you viewers for joining us >> anyway you know um yeah we're going to make it a very uh important conversation because very deep and and bring out some new uh dimensions to this whole uh issue >> you know as usual >> as usual of course >> so it's going to be three years you know couple weeks May 29 that president Bola metu has been in government now uh I want to ask You Ken, is there anything that you guys in the opposition concessment of the three years? Well, first of all, let us just be realistic. This has been the three years of catastrophe.

[00:01:19]The only thing I can concede to President Tinubu is that in the budget all the amount he said he was going to borrow >> he borrowed it.

[00:01:36]>> So that is the only thing that he >> So we have money to do stuff. That is the only thing he fulfilled in the entire budget from 2023 when he did his supplementary you know budget all the item on borrowing he borrowed and over borrowed. So a government that is not producing anything is now dubiously computing our depth based on GDP and they will tell you in America in France in UK they're talking about GDP >> but they forgot that that is a producing nation where they get a lot of their tax from production houses.

[00:02:33]>> Any country and I talk as an economist that is not a producing nation. You have to denominate your depth to your revenue because you will run into problems.

[00:02:49]Soon we'll be bankrupt that we will not be enough. We will not have enough to pay for our revenue because the production houses are dying.

[00:03:00]There is no power to power them up. You have to be a billionaire in dollars for your businesses in Nigeria now to survive. That is why the small scale and mediumcale businesses are dying.

[00:03:15]You don't have power to produce and power is the ability to do work. So this government is the government of catastrophe.

[00:03:25]The only industry that is viable now that is booming is politics. Oh wow.

[00:03:31]That's why people are struggling.

[00:03:34]As you must have heard that the governors are budgeting already 800 billion naira to support the campaign.

[00:03:43]That is the only industry that is blossoming under Tobago because he does not want any context in 2027.

[00:03:54]So he wants to snatch it, grab it, fight for it and run away with it. And with substantial war chest like he did in 2027, >> he thinks he can do it again. So this government, let's start with the most basic thing because you started by asking what do I concede to them and this is the only thing I concede to them. So if what I concede to them is catastrophic then you can imagine what the rest is.

[00:04:27]>> Let's take on the security for instance.

[00:04:30]Nigeria has become a killing field.

[00:04:34]You have 195 countries on earth and Nigeria is the fourth most terrorized nation on earth by World Bank report.

[00:04:45]Anybody that goes out of his house in Nigeria, no matter how highly placed, it is only in the hands of God that you are in till you get back.

[00:04:55]There are places you will tell your wife you're going.

[00:04:59]Before you come back, she has already become a basket case >> because she's scared that you may not make it back.

[00:05:07]Platu has become a killing field.

[00:05:12]Tinubu went there personally and say it will not happen again and before he left there people have been massacred and in all these things that massacreing going on Tinu has not visited one one place one not two when he went to bedway another basket case I remember the governor of Benway state at certain point say Benway is bleeding he couldn't Don't go to Y water where the incidences were happening. You know the reason he gave that you have rain and you have bad roads. Yet the children of Ben came out in that rain and bad road to be waving him. He stopped at Mar.

[00:05:59]He attempted it again going to Plateau.

[00:06:03]He stopped at the airport and told them there was no light. So you have a president that not only that he has failed to secure people. Quir state used to be one of the most peaceful in Nigeria.

[00:06:16]It has become a killing field that you are seeing quash in IDP camp.

[00:06:23]People who are running away from lack of security in quara terrorists are now manning some local governments in Niger state. They've started blowing bridges and infrastructure meaning they are evolving as a military you know military military apparatus military terrorism because when you start talking about ambushing our security when you start talking about planned work they are no longer terrorists that do hit and run they now do hit and stay in tinu government.

[00:07:05]So I don't need to tell you in southwest they are crying. You recall what happened in Ibado in the national park where people went terrorist and killed people. You know how many Euroba kings that they have killed assassinated same thing in the south south southeast and in the north. So, but here is the point.

[00:07:31]I am troubled because Tidumbu, not only that he's not solving the problem, it looks like he does not have the mind to solve them. For any problem we have, let me address the issue of power.

[00:07:49]First of all, Tinubu anchored his reelection on the provision of power for Nigerians.

[00:07:55]>> Mhm. He said, "If I do not give you power, do not vote for me.

[00:08:02]We do not have power.

[00:08:05]And if he were to be a man of honor, he would not even run. If he were to be the British prime minister, he would not even run because in that basic thing about power, he has not given Nigerians."

[00:08:23]But here is my concern that not only that Tinubu is not giving us all those things, but that he is trying to build another kingdom for himself and his family to shield himself from the failures of his government.

[00:08:43]In the issue of power, he has devoted 20 something billion naira to build the solar energy. So that asurok will be getting its source of energy from solar.

[00:08:57]How would he then know what people are suffering by the absence of power?

[00:09:03]>> Okay.

[00:09:03]>> And something is troubling me.

[00:09:05]>> Yeah. I want to wrap up >> in that particular issue.

[00:09:08]>> Okay.

[00:09:09]Have you done noticed that it looks like he's building asurok to become a life president?

[00:09:15]>> Why? I mean, >> no. Why are you insulating yourself from the problem of the society?

[00:09:20]>> Okay.

[00:09:20]>> Can't you see the amount of security that his own family members are using when they're going on the road that even Winka say is enough to go and fight to stop a queue in another country?

[00:09:34]Shinka is >> okay. Okay. Yeah. I mean 10 >> you know so I am beginning to be concerned.

[00:09:40]Lastly you saw what happened in the Senate where Senator Aabio was trying to amend the Senate rules to secure proactively his own seat to be senate president.

[00:09:53]>> Yeah but that's not Tibu's problem. Oh, so you do not know that if they can amend the rules of the Senate to perpetuate themselves in power that that is a road to amend the constitution to perpetuate in power.

[00:10:08]>> Okay. All right. I see.

[00:10:09]>> What would not get from this national assembly?

[00:10:13]>> Okay. All right. Very very uh very critical, very skating and caring, you know, and I mean not that I expected less from you. Ken But let's let's let's try to look at it from a different point of view. So let's let's hear what he said. Is that ahead?

[00:10:32]>> What what what the president said about the main opposition figure in ADC that's Alaji Atiku Abuaka >> who was vice president. The president said >> yes >> uh in one of his last outings when he was meeting the renewed hope ambassadors in the villa he said that hey look the the main guy in this opposition people who wants to take over from me was the chairperson of the national privatization council where a lot of things were sold and he has the question that is any of those things working that uh was sold under article's uh chairmanship ship and then himself you know uh is on the record to say that okay look when it comes to power reforms during the ambassador regime that we got we got a lot of money from the local government from state government from the federal government but we could not deliver power after 8 years himself said that I think we own up to the uh to the failure so how do you respond to those two things which is the counter from the or from their side.

[00:11:43]>> What do you expect from a president that is truth challenged?

[00:11:51]Cuz I just gave you example of power.

[00:11:55]Since this president came, he has been mounting the issue of state police.

[00:12:00]Has he given you state police with 32 governors with um Senator P in his pocket?

[00:12:10]He could get anything that he wanted.

[00:12:13]When we entered this government 6 months into Tinus regime, I say he will not give you state police because he would want to use federal police to manipulate election.

[00:12:25]So when I just want you to know that a president that cannot even fulfill his own statement, he's talking about privatization. I will just give you one example for you to know that one of the best things that had come to this country is the privatization program before passenger came it was only night that we had >> and before 6 months it was privatized what a success story Nigeria is one of the best nations now that operates in internet people are even saying we are overdoing it privatization When Obas before he left, he wanted to privatize the refineries.

[00:13:10]They had actually sold to Dangote.

[00:13:13]>> It was reversed. I wish it stood because eventually Dangote now built his own and since that time to date that the government has been pushing money almost 20 something billion dollars to repair the refineries gone down the drains.

[00:13:34]When something is privatized it goes into private hands. It is no longer the government. M >> so what this failed president failed to address is that at it as it was in the private hands the government was not spending anything again for those companies and whether they succeeded or not was no longer the business of government >> if those refiners were in private hands the government wouldn't have spent 20 something bill uh 20 something billion dollars even if it was not working.

[00:14:09]>> Okay. So the privatization saved this country a lot and it's no longer the business of the government whether it works or not. The business is that you are removing the hand of government from the businesses and most of them are not viable.

[00:14:30]>> Well that would be >> something just a minute you know just so we integrate ourselves. So, so I if we say that you know which is a fact >> that uh once you privatize it's out of the hand of government.

[00:14:42]>> Sure.

[00:14:43]>> The power sector itself is likely privatized. So should why why would you then concede >> yes >> that the president doesn't have any power to actually deliver on the promise that he made because these are now private companies just using your own analysis. No, very well. And um you would have to apologize to me that it's not my analysis you're using.

[00:15:05]You forgot that our problem is not production.

[00:15:11]Our problem is transmission.

[00:15:14]And sorry to say it foolishly, they still retain the transmission company in the hand of the government. Why government entered into a lot of problem is that they entered into agreement >> but that's that's the decision it's not a decision of >> no actually the decision of uh the PDP not to not not to privatize not um at some point we want to check cameration came after >> yeah but I I I see your point about transmission still not but distribution is wait and There are quite a lot a lot of the issues in the power sector is about the uh the the infrastructure for distribution that those guys in the discourse are holding holding on to. So my my my argument is that if you're going to give if you're going to say a privatized company >> is not the responsibility of government >> then you have to give the president a slack. That is what I am saying.

[00:16:17]We entered into problem because we entered into agreement with the genos that no matter what they generate in terms of power the government will pay whether the government is using it or not.

[00:16:30]>> That is where we enter into those trillions of depths to them because they generated a lot of mega stranded power.

[00:16:40]>> Good. Now you can't talk about distribution when the transmission is not there.

[00:16:48]That's it. You are distributing what is transmitted.

[00:16:52]So the problem is in transmission where we would have even 13,000 megawatt and we're transmitting only 3,000 4,000.

[00:17:01]>> Yeah, I I see that point. But my my argument also is that the infrastructure of the distribution itself is not even capable wait to to be able to be able to distribute even what is transmitted. Uh uh uh Ken even what is transmitted the the discourse is in in instances are unable to to to distribute. That's not the problem.

[00:17:25]You're right about transmission. Very good. But but it's also correct >> that in instances the distribution company themsel don't are not able >> good >> I mean people are still buying uh uh transformers K >> yes >> I agree with you and I'm telling you sorry to use this word because I don't know a better word it is foolishness >> for the government to come into the center of the narrative and they are not integrating very well backward and they are not integrating well forward.

[00:18:00]>> They were the ones that made the policy.

[00:18:03]Why would you be stranded and you are a government in a policy that you made?

[00:18:09]>> Why did you not build those things in the agreement and like I said it has nothing to do with the privatization policy that the government of of Tunu is talking about. And again, why did you become president? You became president to correct what has been wrong.

[00:18:30]>> Okay.

[00:18:30]>> And then to creatively make it better.

[00:18:34]>> Okay.

[00:18:34]>> As you know, by my nature, >> I don't like excuses.

[00:18:38]>> You are the commanderin-chief.

[00:18:40]>> Anybody that is leading Mr. giving excuses, you're on your own.

[00:18:44]>> Okay.

[00:18:45]>> All right.

[00:18:45]>> The reason we voted for you >> is uh is to >> is to correct issues. You're still whining.

[00:18:51]>> Okay. Now uh let me take you up this president. Okay, thank you. Privation is not going well. You're not able and capable to do it. Can you step aside >> for somebody who >> somebody who knows how to solve it?

[00:19:04]>> He is saying that the person that that is the one that sold a lot of other companies that are not working today.

[00:19:11]You've given and those ones he said working I told you that it is not the duty of the government assuming the government totally privatize everything about power it would have been working excellently well >> but the point is that art concidered can on the record >> of the power >> wait considered on the record we can play it >> yeah I feel very very emotional about it because I believe if we had handled the issue of electricity when we were in office by 2005 would have provided enough electricity for the people of this country. We we failed on this. That's what I considered.

[00:19:53]>> Very good. Let me come in now in that particular point and that's why I like leaders who take responsibility in opposed the government then remember he's the vice president >> and thank god you have worked with the vice president.

[00:20:14]>> Absolutely.

[00:20:15]>> Yes. Who has no executive power whatsoever. The advice he gave to the government then is let us not go into trying to gas power the whole nation >> because our resources will not be enough to carry it.

[00:20:33]>> Let us go into what he called captive power captive power program. You know why?

[00:20:40]Yeah, >> when you come to North Central, you use the energy that is available and build the power in North Central if it is solar that is the best, >> right?

[00:20:51]>> And then you capture power in all parts of Nigeria. And the reason he said that you should not depend on gas is that the amount you will use to build the gas plant in the south, the amount you use to distribute it throughout Nigeria will be too costly. that if you start it, it will not finish within 80 years. And that's why he suggested that captive power method. But as a responsible leader, he came out and took responsibility.

[00:21:24]>> Okay?

[00:21:24]>> Look at the same >> look at the same president that have been there for 3 years as an executive president and he's shifting blame.

[00:21:33]>> Oh, come on.

[00:21:34]>> All right.

[00:21:35]>> You know, you know how good it is for Oshib to come in. You and I, we are closing the government.

[00:21:41]>> We know what would have happened if Oshiba himself was in charge of everything.

[00:21:45]>> Oh, certainly.

[00:21:46]>> But you know how good it would have been that Oshib will come out and take responsibility for what happened in Bhari's government even when you and I know that if some of the advice he had given >> differently. Yeah.

[00:22:00]>> Very good. Okay.

[00:22:02]>> I love and cherish such a leader. Point uh point for me. Let let because of our time I want us to uh uh talk about a few two more things now. So part of the criticism that the opposition has had to deal with is that okay you guys have told us all these things about uh the president and that we need to be out.

[00:22:22]What are you guys going to do differently? We haven't seen your manifesto uh uh Ken. Why why is that such a big deal to release the manifesto?

[00:22:32]>> Good. You and I know that APC wants to legislate and litigate us out of existence.

[00:22:40]>> So you're talking about manifesto. We're talking about survivor. Don't you know?

[00:22:48]Don't you know the battle that we went into? It was just it was not April 30th that we started breathing again. They wanted to strangle us.

[00:22:59]>> So you don't look like somebody they were going to >> No, no, no, no, no. We we we withtood them. We fought them. And that is always why I will be proud of the leaders I have in ADC.

[00:23:10]>> Okay.

[00:23:10]>> We did not run. We confronted them. And today we are breathing and we are doing well. But coming to the manifesto, we have said it in ADC as our article three of our ADC constitution said in pursuit of the welfare of our people and the welfare of our nation.

[00:23:33]>> So we are a welferish peopleentric party that will make sure that the people of Nigeria is the object of our administration.

[00:23:45]We are going to ensure that everything we're going to do would have human face.

[00:23:50]>> We will start with the security where we will go on offense not defense.

[00:23:56]>> We are going to provide the materials defense materials our armed forces need.

[00:24:05]We will provide more boots on the ground.

[00:24:09]>> If it is state police that will give it to us instantly, we go that way. We will listen to the people and we want to build a party that will not be the possession of those in power but will be the party that will direct the activities of those in power.

[00:24:29]>> Okay.

[00:24:29]>> We want to build a government we own not a government will be a possession to.

[00:24:34]>> All right. Because of our time.

[00:24:36]>> Okay.

[00:24:36]>> Because of our time because uh our time is well spent. And I want to ask you uh one last question about the departure of uh Obi and Quaanso from the party. Uh now there was a lot of expectation and hope you know when we had this IBO summit and everybody including uh Mr. uh will be and and analyt said that look the the the opposition is going to unite and have one single opposition uh candidate for presidency but I mean less than a week after that you had Mr. Obi, Mr. Obi and Quakans who leave uh ADC and now you have uh Makid who even hosted the meeting himself has declared to run for president you know so so you're going to there are talks that President Gul Junatan you know might also throw his hat in the ring are you concerned that the action the activities the efforts of the opposition is being fragmented and that that might actually uh uh you know be the knock demies of opposition in 2027. Final question.

[00:25:49]Well, what all the comments you made are fair comments but anybody going into anything that is made of human beings must anticipate that such a thing could happen.

[00:26:05]when we were forming the coalition in one interview I had in one media house I told them we're not going to have a problem when we are coalesing first but immediately we start talking about who becomes who and because of who will be who in other words when the contest for power comes I say you will start seeing the problem the differences and the conflict you're wishing for you will start seeing it And that is because I've been close to some of the leaders and I was aware from beginning no matter how we coales that some of those leaders are not going to be part of the final journey. You you always knew >> when I came to ADC from the first meeting I attended when we were consulting when they consulted me I told them PTOI is not going to context contest under this platform.

[00:27:06]>> Wow. before the unveiling. You were able to tell him that.

[00:27:10]>> I told him that. I told him I was not going to come into South I was not going to come into the leadership of ADC from the southeast led by Pitoi because I know he was going to leave and I wouldn't want him to count me as part of the people that are as unstable as he is. Wow. So this is the person I had worked with closely and I know that one thing he has morbid fear for is context as in on the primary level. M >> so what I will advise him is as he went about throughout all the contestants in ADC to step down for him >> now that he's in NDC let him book an appointment with Tinobu and also beg Tinubu to step down for him because the reason is this it is not when you finish or you get a ticket in uh in the primary >> that you become president.

[00:28:14]>> Yeah, >> there is a general context that you are contest that you're going to go into. So if you want everybody to step down for you, then don't go into that general contest, go to Tinubu's house and beg him to to step down for you so that you become president. Because if it is the primary that you make person president, I will join him in the begging so that southeast will produce the president. But the main thing is the general election.

[00:28:44]But you see, thank God in the ADC, he did not give any excuse that it's monetized or that it is um dollarized.

[00:28:54]>> You know, the favorite pastime of his followers. He said, "Oh, has you? Oh, has monetized you." And you know what?

[00:29:04]When they do such thing, they don't even know they are promoting you. You know why?

[00:29:10]when you are to be honest with you the last time I was with artic he's one of the dealers of our party so you know we get a meet >> he looked at me he said your type is rare and I'm like you know a guy he said some other things and you know why he said it >> he saw that everybody from the toxic philosophy are saying he has dollarized me he has monetized me and he knows we have never discussed anything about Exactly.

[00:29:40]>> And he was like, "So they don't even know that they are promoting me in front of my leaders because they know the truth >> and then they de marketing themselves because they are now convincing those my leaders that they are liars because they are the ones who know whether they are dollarizing or but that's by the way because we have just one minute.

[00:30:01]>> Good. So going away look at he has declared there's one ad again. Yeah, we SDP always been SDP >> from the southwest.

[00:30:12]>> Did you see anybody from the south molesting them?

[00:30:15]>> But if you say you want to contest in Egoland in another party, you will see some of these obese street touchings embarrassing the person abusing the person. Hey, you're a sellout. Hey, you're a betrayer. Hey, no, you people do not do like that. And I gave the example of 1979 >> where Dr. Donziki were being in PPP still respected his brother in MPN and eventually we became the vice president and he still aligned with them and they gave us speaker of the house of representatives even when we did not win federal election. That is how a people should be going. So what I am saying now is that the opposition will still win the election because as we are moving together, we will still be negotiating and at the end of the day assuming >> that all these people are going to contest. Assuming >> and there is one candidate from the north.

[00:31:20]Yeah, possibly Jonathan and then possibly back. Who do you think will win?

[00:31:25]>> Okay. All right. I I I like your optimism.

[00:31:29]>> No, no, no, no. Look, ADC is going to win 2027 election.

[00:31:33]>> All right. We see it's just months. We are waiting >> how many months is January?

[00:31:37]>> We are waiting when we bring our because I don't know who the candidate will be >> when the candidate is also and is very stronger.

[00:31:45]>> He's very strong. He knows how he does his own things in the >> par and he does have quite a bit of track record >> you know he's sure and these are the kind of people I respect >> okay >> he's he he stood by his what he's in ADC to contest he doesn't run away >> and he's there >> he's there >> and and he wants to fight the primaries so so he's not he's not my brother was in ADC and you believe you have co and so why didn't you align both of you and then bring him fight and everybody will support you and we have a pathway to victory. What is his pathway to victory?

[00:32:22]>> Anyway, very very very good point and uh uh uh it's always good to have you Ken.

[00:32:27]You know uh the time is fast spent but of course this is going to be a very ongoing conversation. January is just where we already May so we're talking of uh maybe seven months you know it's going to be happen. Thank you so much and thank you for for your uh frankness.

[00:32:42]Thank you for your incisive analysis and thank you for the passion that you bring and thank you for always coming to sources.

[00:32:48]>> Thank you very much. Appreciate.

[00:32:50]>> Thank you.