Peter Obi Made Kenneth Okonkwo Popular | Obi's Exit Has Weakened ADC - Peter Ameh Replies Okonkwo

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:02]Look, let me tell Kenny was a popular actor. You give that to him. He was very good. I used to watch him as a very younger person. Um but in in politics his acting days, this young generation cannot remember. They can remember it was the popularity of being spokesman that brought the people were born in 2000 who were born in 2001. People were born in 1997. He remembers that there was somebody most can't remember his acting days. those young older people like us could you you can but young people didn't they couldn't relate with it so they keep on discussing about OB because they know that OB leaving ADC as weakening the chances of ADC by over 60% and has created opportunity for the NDC to become the new bride of the Nigerian people because Obi has the enthusiasm behind him he has the momentum of the people he has the excitement by the people and he has the trust of the people. There's no document that proves even the internet never forget. He's there that Obi never did an ID card for nutterance in Anra. It was Roas Okoroa while he was governor of Imo state.

[00:01:08]So I I I I end up saying this that all what whatever wicked thing he's doing today, people have done worse before him. They didn't put God into the equation. Abach was very powerful. They didn't put God into the equation. They made mistakes. A pastor, a pastor, respected woman of God knel down on the altar is pleading with you to please think of all people. You are replying the person that even if God comes down no what level of power gets to that level. I don't think this is reasonable.

[00:01:45]All right. Welcome to Niger unfeittered a symphony podcast and our guest on today's edition of the program is high chief Peter and former national chairman of intra party advisory council. Good to have you on the program.

[00:02:00]>> Thank you very much. You know I also ran for president like 2019 >> on PB. Yes.

[00:02:08]>> I was among the top 10 candidate that year.

[00:02:12]>> You've come a long way.

[00:02:14]>> I tried. started early.

[00:02:17]>> All right, let's start this way. P2B just left the ADC to NDC. How do you react to his exit from the coalition?

[00:02:26]>> For me, I've always known P2B to be a very principle person. I I've known him.

[00:02:30]I've not just seen these people just met him here now. They have known him for a very long time and um on his way the owner, the founder of the ADC is my very good friend, Chief Ra. Very good friend.

[00:02:40]We've been friends for many years. And you see a lot of videos where I do where we standing by my side and I I didn't believe in the composition of the ADC and I didn't believe in the ideas they represented they are representing today.

[00:02:52]You you see for me I've never gone to television station over the last 20 years and then say something and then attempt to walk it back after many years. You know that's what most of the politicians today do. I try to want to maintain those principles. So when I met people to be asked him severally I said no you can't join these people. You can't. He gave his reason why he needed to, you know, be part of the process.

[00:03:11]And I said, "Look, there's not going to be free and fair processes for this whole ADC thing. There's already a gang up there. You can't go there. You you are too principle, too disciplined to be part of this um group." And he insisted that we all going to ADC and I refused to follow. uh and and that's the only time I've not listened to him and at the end of the day he has seen that the things we've said uh about the not meeting up with the you know respect that we have kept Nigeria in a very stable ground I'm from Kogi state I'm from the northern Nigeria you know I'm not from southeast south south or or southwest I'm from Kogi state so and I believe that those things that those integrate those integrate balance that foundation that we are l that power should be rotated between north and south was a principle that I believe in and I I I'm grateful careful that eventually he has seen what I've talked about and then and then I will try to go back to where such principles are are entrenched like the NDC. So it is very important.

[00:04:05]>> Is it a coincidence that uh when he was leaving the ADC was also when you are announcing your resignation from the Labor Party?

[00:04:12]>> Yes, because I believe in him and I think that I should leave the Labor Party since he's no longer coming back.

[00:04:17]At the time I thought he could come back to the Labor Party and since he's no longer coming back and he's going somewhere else and I know that it's necessary for me to continue to act as um the people who have been speaking on his who has been speaking about our knowledge of his person of his credibility of his being a very responsible person and a uniting a figure that will unite our country that I should keep that you know and then keep that promise and that's why I resigned from the Labour party about 24 hours ago to be able to push a new a new vision for this country and I believe Obi is the best person to carry out that that that vision to reality because we've tried a lot of things. Nigerians are not just tired. They've tried tribe, they've tried religion, they've tried religion, they've done every other thing. It doesn't work as long as you keep on bringing people based on the fact that it's my tribal person is somebody that I know somebody that is my language is my religion then Nigerians Nigeria will never get it right. We're going to make that mistakes. What Obi has done in that but in private life Obi has excelled in before he he got into politics. If there's a way somebody can be in government without being a politician would have taken that route.

[00:05:23]There's no that route than to be a politician because he's he's somebody who you know embodies um sense of sincerity and discipline and that level of discipline is what we need for our financial management of our our economy, our finances, our fiscal responsibility.

[00:05:37]That is the kind of thing we need right now. We can't just be, you know, be saying things that are not true in order to disparage a man who have put himself in service. Nobody would have been able to do what to be have done since his election was taken from him in 2023. He has remained the center of discussion.

[00:05:53]That's why they are worried. That's why they are they they agitated. He has remained the focal point for our political national discourse. Nobody can change that in 2023. There's no day you can talk. People go to TV stations who are contesting for the presidency. Why are they not talking about it? Why are they talking about Obi? They know he's the one that has the momentum that the enthusiasm by young and old people to be able to follow. It's not look people came up with Muslim Muslim ticket. They reversing themselves today. The same people who are saying oh they made mistake. They are reversing themselves today because you can't place national development on religion. You could have two atheist, two abalist, two Christians, two Muslim who are good and they will do well. Nobody will worry.

[00:06:35]They talk about Abula in 1993. I was in Lagos. Lagos was was um the kind of energy you you felt in that election.

[00:06:44]You can't feel it in any of the the elections we've had. It wasn't about whether the North has made Abola president. No, it was the whole country.

[00:06:51]I was in Lagos. I saw it. So nobody will say that oh in 1993 that made Abola. No, that's not true. It was Nigerians who were de who were committed to the principle of you know somebody who has the capacity to lead this country. So Abela has the private sector experience.

[00:07:08]Abela was driven by his his love for this country. Abela understood that if you must make this country work you must bring somebody who have the knowledge of business who can manage resources and that's why Nigeria followed him. Today OB have done three times what have done.

[00:07:23]He has he has been generous to to to to the north. He has invested in education in the north. He has invested in in young people in the north and that should be respected. Is not a politician that does thing for cloud. If he's that kind of light politician, you would have seen him everywhere and then you would have seen some things that would have not been able to uh give him that that public acceptance that he have today. So let not go about looking for something to talk about Peter or be that everybody in their private inner cycle have accepted that this man has the capacity the credibility and the you know the knowledge to pilot the affairs of this country. Former spokesperson of the Labor Party, Kenneetto said that um OB is not being he's being economical with the reasons why he left the ADC as against all the things he gave. As a matter of fact, he he summarized by saying that Obi has a morbid fear of contesting primaries. How do you react to this?

[00:08:25]You see people have talk about maintaining being consistent in what you say. At one time Kenneth Cob was the best. At one time he said article had criminal past and use money to buy primaries and another time is back to article. I've never done such life. I've always been consistent. If I'm supporting OB to be I support if I'm not supporting I you will never hear that I supported the person or I go back to talk about the people. I don't I don't bring leaders to TV to talk about them.

[00:08:52]what I do is principle and I think that Kenneth is not is not right and is maybe does not have the information because you know he recently joined you know politics and he was able to be appointed now one of the spokesman and that's what gave him the limb like the the popularity that he has today so but for some of us who've been here I know the primaries that brought to be up in AGA was widely cont was was strongly contested it was even done by option A4 O will be one so I I do I do not know what to mention the the the person who contribut buted to the renting of offices across Anamra at the time was my friend still remain my friend and ally.

[00:09:29]Chief Ravok was he knows I know I know his contribution to Abga but eventually Obi won and we should accept that Obi contested primaries and won and we should not be looking at oh why did leave PDP the same reason people are complaining today that PDP is dying it was because OB was based on principle said no it is the turn of the south you must you must zone it he said if you're not zoning I'm leaving that's why he left to to talk about turn and when is the turn of the north OB will stand by the north that is the top of the north and he did he did it in 2019 by standing with people talk appointed Obi all the vice president candidate art go and look at the vote got in the election and look at what he got when he contested with you look at it you must follow data data is very critical in analyzing our national politics look at he got more votes running with Obi than he got with any presidential candidate any vice presidential candidate and they trying to look as if the primaries in pot that did not play a in trying to make artical candidate that you know people are people just continue to hide behind one finger and tell all kind of narrative so that people don't people will think they're not seen them Kenosha will come to the reality that Obi is fighting for the northern slot and that when this time for northern slot ends southern slot ends and he's done of the north Obi will stand by the north and Kennes will accept that the fact that Obi still remain the most credible candidate is because of his character his competence and his ability to accommodate all because if you look at from the Brazilian campaign council those who worked for him even Kenneet had the best position at the time today I think is cutting him they didn't cut him in 2023 they didn't cut him in 2019 they had cutting him now because he has become a material that was modeled that was that was given opportunity to fly by Peter >> but you can argue that that Peter B did not make him per se >> look let me tell Kenn was a popular actor you give that to him he was very good I used to watch him as a very younger Um but in in politics his acting days this young generation cannot remember they can remember it was the popularity of being spokesman that brought the people were born in 2000 who were born in 2001 people were born in 1997 remember that there was somebody most people can't remember his acting days those young older people like us could you you can't but young people didn't they couldn't relate with it so I I don't think that we should go about I think what Kenneth should do and others by De Mod who is on on on rampage talking about PB everywhere is to sell their candidate. They have a responsibility to talk about what their candidate stands for and Nigerians have seen that they over concentration of of of opinion on B2B as something as if they are scared as if they in panic mood OB is the answer to the 2027 election as it was in the 2023. they in panic mode because if I if I have a if I have a product in the market to sell, I should be concentrating the air time I have in trying to despise to to diminish the product of my of my competitors because at the end of the day what you what you put more in the public is what the people see. So they continue to see OB because in journalism in fact in politics there's nothing as bad publicity. That's why you can see controversial politicians are popular than those who are straightforward because they can say today and they say another thing tomorrow. They are very popular.

[00:12:54]They are very popular. But you put them on the on the table with Nigerians to discuss about their content, their their credibility and integrity. Nigerians will reject them. But they are popular.

[00:13:03]Popularity does not mean integrity. It doesn't mean competence. It doesn't mean their acceptability.

[00:13:08]So they keep on discussing about Obi because they know that OB leaving ADC has weakened the chances of ADC by over 60% and has created opportunity for the NDC to become the new bride of the Nigerian people because Obi has the enthusiasm behind him. He has the momentum of the people. He has excitement by the people and he has a trust of the people because how can you tell me a man who left governor since 200 over the last 10 years they can't find anything to arrest him they have investigated and turning upside down they collecting his property in Lagos he's not fighting he's going through the law whether the whether people believe in law or not to be always believe in the law they doing all sort of things to try to undermine him you don't see him shouting you don't see him insulting you don't see him insulting anybody that is contesting against has always been about the issues Where is our money? Where's the money generated? Where are you spending it?

[00:14:02]What is happening with the contract awarded? Why are you not paying local contractors? Why are people suffering?

[00:14:07]Why is the cost of living so high? Why is out of the pocket expenses for civil servants? Why has it become something that they cannot survive with? These are the issues. These are how politics should be play. And they don't want to learn. They want to continue to talk about thinking that by telling lies they will be able to reduce OB. No.

[00:14:23]People are already convinced.

[00:14:25]people already buried their interest that Nigeria must work for the good of our people. That's why you can see a candidate like Obi, they should test their popularity. Now candidate like Obi can go to a party there's no counselor, local government chairman, no governor, no president and they end up coming up with with 6 something million vote after the several deduction because people tell me that oh if you say the result was stolen I say it was stolen. I still believe it till today because it was announced legally does not mean it was it was it was the truth because they are report from premium times there report from BBC that you can verify and see what happened in river state and other state like Lagos so clearly even if you now say you are going to an election and OB has 1.6.1 6.1 million vote because you have stolen some of those vote. You will panic more because you know those people that you have stolen their vote are still going to repeat that same vote and you and this time will not allow what he allowed in 2023.

[00:15:25]He will not allow any party officials to undermine him from not putting his agent across. He will not allow the fact that he will not open his eyes and allow Pepe to be put inside will be we make sure that the vote of the people this time will be defended and we're all together and Nigerians too must take responsibility because we cannot get this country working. We cannot get it working if we put our hands and surrender to these people who have vagab.

[00:15:50]>> All right. Some argue that he's leaving the ADC uh will tend to weaken the opposition in giving the APC a rerun for their money in 2027. is is is a mistake.

[00:16:03]People people don't they're not good student of history. 2023 should be a better time for them to know like I've told you earlier OB contested with he had the highest vote out of all the vice presidential candidate he has used in the past in 203 will be contested alone and had you know a major vote a major turnout despite what happened to him the people who are going to vote for Obi are not likely going to vote for are mostly not going to vote for article and that's why you can see you know people take offense when people say OB or nothing it is a convention that I believe in this man it is the it is the final thought of the people that I believe the solution will come from Peter that is why nothing it's not as if they doing it to undermine anybody some oh you no they're not doing to undermine anybody they doing it to tell you categorically that I believe that the hope and future aspirations of Nigerians young old and yet unborn have been invested in the hands of this and based on his character of discipline, this is what he should do.

[00:17:09]And so if you look at that, it has reduced the the chances of the it's not it's not true. The voter registration in 2023, did you see how how it's how how high it was ahead of when the camp? It was because people wanted to vote.

[00:17:23]People were determined to vote. So a lady in Lagos was was attacked by some talks. She got injured. I'm trying to remember her name. She went back home, got treated and came back to vote.

[00:17:36]It was conviction. It was believe that this is what look I don't want to be ambivalent at this time that a lot of Nigerians don't want to be ambivalent just like me are standing on the fence and say whatever will happen to Nigeria happen people are now determined to say look we need to know what want to happen to Nigerians by investing our >> all right his vice presidential candidate in 2020 election yuaba Ahmed strongly criticized obese movement to the ADC and he said his penchant for living when there are internal crisis does not signpost the qualities of a great leader. What do you think?

[00:18:11]>> Obi tried to fix the Labour party.

[00:18:13]There's no that OB is not a um OB can't change what the the refusal of the INC to obey Supreme Court judgment. Obi can't change that. OB can't change that.

[00:18:25]They were they were federal state high court. Do you know is established by section 133 and those enjoying any employment in is by section 155 section 1 C. But in honored a state high court from Nasawa the judgment from a state high court when is a federal executive body and she only honor judgment from federal court. So why will OB has changed that? I think that when you are married to somebody and somehow you love the person too much and um the person decide to leave and move on with a new life you you as a lover you will feel pain. There's no doubt about that. And you you all that I do not want to I don't like to talk about anybody at all in a way that we undermine them. There was a nation in 2023 now he has a polling unit result now he has a word result now he was a vice candidate now he should flash it before the people I can bring my word result for 2023 I where I contested I can bring my pulling in result and everything around it. So he should stop talking out of anger. If he has the interest to contest, let him contest and and and show up. Obi did not leave ADC because he cannot contest in the primaries for me. I before he joined, I saw the gang. I told him he's alive. You can ask. I said don't join.

[00:19:41]I'm saying this on the air because I don't know. I know it to be offensive to a friend of mine, Chraumosu, but he knows my my my my my my sincere intentions that I will never do anything to harm him because he has been there for me as a friend. He has been supportive of all my crisis I had while where why I struggle politically. But the truth must be said and so the gang and I met to be in presence of people au can testify that I said these things that look don't go to the ADC except they agree to zone. I asked him, he said, "No, let him not look as if I don't want to go. Let me go." I said, "No, except the agree to zone. Don't go because it is turn of the south."

[00:20:17]Because even if you do, the southern will call you betrayer. Don't let people betray you. Don't let people call you betrayer because you are a very principal man. I told him this and that's why I didn't join him. So today somebody like um Damu, he's afraid of primaries.

[00:20:35]went to NCP to national conscious party contest for president election. There was PDP that time. I wasn't afraid of the primaries.

[00:20:45]There was other parties. So political party membership is the fact that is drawn in section 40 that you belong to a party that protect your interest. This is what constitution said interest. IT IS NOT ELSE that created it is in the constitution that interest matters.

[00:21:01]So when people talk without doing proper investigation or evaluate evaluating the decision or they speak from the side of of their own selfishness to say oh I think must be the candidate article has been candidate before they keep on telling it's not article that can win article that can win he has been they have always said this every time he was presented as CANDIDATE HE HAS NOT WON so let's try a new let's try somebody now that is a new kid on the board block that people have interesting. Go to communities, go and do voice popularly. You know that the voice of the people is the voice of God.

[00:21:36]That people have decided to commit their resources, their time and energy to seeing that a reality occurs.

[00:21:43]You cannot have somebody who is not financially frugal, who does not have discipline. Look at what whatever lingu did a benevolent detector was the fact that himself sacrificed those benefits to make sure that the country works worked. So today we have that candidate and every person from the opposition instead concentrating on the failure of Bola instead looking at how manage our economy how is gallivanting around the world without looking at microeconomics indices that will help our small and medium scale enterprises to grow they concentrating on Obi there's a problem there from the opposition OP is not concentrating on them is concentrating on the people so there's a problem I I think these guys um whether it's M whether it's um Kenneet Conor whether it's Yu whe whatever whether I sal they missing the point they should not be behaving like um Jed lover you know they should be able to sit down and look at what do we have to sell we have a ticket to sell go and sell it there's still other noters in southerners in the ADC now market them and let to market himself >> that he also said that uh will be conso tickets will not be a good product in the north.

[00:23:05]>> I don't agree with it.

[00:23:08]I don't agree with it. But have shown some level of resilience. I don't believe that should have been announced as a vice presidential potential until be a major candidate. I don't believe that. But you can't just write Kangasu off and compare you know potential with that of that. You understand?

[00:23:26]have lost election in Cano, came back with the same candidate and won the same election without government despite the the suppression the attacks the use of state power against that election. He still he still won and brought people into house of revs senate and co the same did that 10 raised to power 10 but did his own is not somebody you can just write off he's an outside man he's from the north so he he he has he has his own um his own his own trademark cut out for him and he's respected among the talakawas the poor people they respect him a lot the kind of scholarship he has given the kind of things he had done to help the the downroing trying to look at the ammonical um idea of politics. I think I think he's a good candidate but I like I said I do not believe that he should have been announced as a vice candidate until a primaries is conducted so that it won't look as if somebody was already chosen even before the the match started.

[00:24:28]>> We learn there are calls for you to run for the Senate. How true is this?

[00:24:32]>> There are a lot of calls for my people that I should run for Senate. Um, but I know the I know the difficulty with elections, the people who are voting. I know the mentality with those who want power at all. Cuz I don't want power at all. Cuz I just want to be very happy. I just want to see Nigeria work. Because the reason why people think that people who get elected goes to, you know, get there to make money and benefit their family. And that's why most of the elector you want go contest, you won't go make money. So because h we have made we monetized our electoral process. We also monetize those who have been elected they now start to buy SUV and that's why I believe in Peter because most of the waste you see in the national assembly won't exist. What is the way forward as 27 elections draw closer for Nigerians, the electorates?

[00:25:21]What is the way forward? A lot of Nigerians are disillusioned. They are they have disengaged. They are withdrawn from the entire political um um gam system that they feel even if they vote their vote will not count the few APCs is skilled at rigging election. So they are afraid. But I will tell them one thing that when there's mass part participation when people are determined to change the course of their country nobody can no no idea can stand in that way. No military can stand in the way.

[00:25:53]No security agency can stand because they all suffering. I grew up in the barracks. How much is salary of of a corpora? It's about 114,000 or so 1415,000 in this economy today. What will 144,000 do to a man with a family?

[00:26:07]If you serve as corporate, maybe you have spent like 10 years in the military for to become a corporate. So what would that money do today? There are no benefit. You see video trendy when they will arrest justice crack and say that say that soldiers are not being fed well and they go and arrest them instead of you to look for a way to solve the solution do a proper inquiry and that's why we do I'm worried about the kind of the kind of attitude that president is doing when it comes to the welfare of the Nigerian military and you allow them to arrest a a a civilian who who have got an information and and aid and the DSS is charging the person what you would have done was to set up a a panel of inquiry call those people those soldiers Those honorary soldiers that you do not respect, ask them how you been fed in the warfront because the morale of the soldier matters to how our wars are are executed because if their morals are low, if they don't get good salary, they don't get good feeding, there's no allowance for they risking their life on behalf of this country, their moral will be low. So you are not doing all that. You are arresting a man who have exercised his fundamental right. The man has not said that anything contrary to to to to undermine national security. In fact, he has said something so that he will get to you. so that you will be able to help these people and improve national security. So the the idea that we have right now is that Nigerian Nigeria as a country does not have the best hand stirring its affairs and that have not shown interest or compassion towards the the the crisis whether security whether financial whether economically that is confronting the Nigerian masses. The APC will land has waved um their screening rules ahead of 27 for presidentu and other aspirants will go through the same will go through the process of screening them their a certificates and all of that. What is APC trying to hide?

[00:28:03]>> They they know the truth they trying to hide certificate forge. They're trying to hide the truth about you know um money for feature you know in the United States of Chicago. They're trying to add a lot of truth. But Nigerians know already if you are not if you can't if you can't be found guilty in your own private court, the court of public opinion will do the we do the justice justice to the issues on the election day. You cannot you when you want to employ a graduate who has studied you know you know well you say come for interview that graduate will go through rigorous um screening present the certificate. Sometimes these companies will go to investigate this certificate are really true. the companies they will send people. In fact those days when in federal civil service when you apply they will go to your village go to places and check. So if you say you are not checking all this because you you have think that power you have now succumb to power of those who who are in charge of the the leadership of our country. and see there's no need to do due diligence in order to bring credibility to the process of making sure those who are elected truly have the the required um credentials requirement to be able to govern then you are you you are further pushing a lot of young people into the right direction. You are not acting as a moral compass for our young people. You are taking morality from governance. You are taking responsibility from governance.

[00:29:25]you are you are descending into the ar of of of political interest over the interest of the people. This is very wrong. This should be condemned by both members of the APC especially members of the APC because you are setting a precedent that is not good for internal working processes of our parties. You your party has screening that's always been there >> and of course the constitution also provide that minimum >> minimum standard >> to be met. Yes, the consumer provide that though I'm not even you know I think that commission that consumer provision should be you know rejig a little bit because the it creates a lot of the the standard is very low you know because the kind of standard we use to employ people we used to even keep our house help in our house is higher than the one they using to put people in the presidency is higher so we we now have a situation where is under the control of the of of the APC you have a sation where the APC itself is not even in control of his own affairs. So how do we solve this problem? It has to come on election day. APC screening must happen and if it's not happening country our citizens should see it as an aberration as a disappointment to how employment to how recruitment for lead process approach and processes for recruitment of leaders should be done. They should see it as an aberration. According to the global terrorism index, Nigeria continues to be one of the most terrorized countries in the world. Of course, we know that northern Nigeria is u one of the the hottest place when you talk about terrorism and the army continues to claim of having successfully decimated technically defeated the terrorist but on a daily basis there's virtually no week that passes without us hearing stories about the onslaught of the terrorist.

[00:31:21]Do you agree that the APC government is winning the war on terror? Are they negotiating with these bandits? If not, why are the bandits not defeated by now?

[00:31:33]>> I think they are not defeated because the APC government is negotiating with the bandits. They embodening them. They are they creating a culture of benefit for the bandits cuz the bandits are is a very lucrative venture for them today.

[00:31:45]They making money from side of government and those victims those who fall as victims to you know to them when they are kidnapped and all that and government have not been able to trace them. Government is tracing those who speak on social media but government can't trace bandits that are using videos and all kinds of clips to flash money ransom money. I think the APC has failed when it comes to managing of our internet security. They have not seen what they have done because some part of Zanfar is a no-go area. I have friends in Mafal Talata Talat somewhere somewhere there who if they coming military vehicle have to escort them to leave their local government to get to get to their their state capital have friends they are there they are my friends the same thing happened in castina in some rural area in castina so you can't have a country where you have a commander-in-chief that is not sitting on is not available it's more more traveling and galvan around the globe and think that international diplomacy is better to solve local issues. local issues. If you are going to use international diplomacy to to to engage people that those diplomats, those international those countries must see that you are effective at home. They must see what you are doing to make sure that this thing is cop in the board. You can see that even the American embassy have issued advisory for their citizen to leave certain part of the country close to 20 state that are not safe. Why is safe? In Ki there's rapid kidnapping and and killing. You go to Niger the same thing inquir is worse in some committee inquir especially in of aes and all the other federal constituency people can't go to their villages anymore and the president as the president visited those people he has it you need to have government that is compassionate that is not himself disengaged from the responsibility that he bestowed upon him to govern rightly and take care of the welfare of the people when the constitution stated clearly that the primary purpose of governor primary purpose every other thing is by the way is security and protection of life and property because if you don't have that nothing prospers contractors can't go to site to work because they afraid their equipment and co will be kidnapped by the bandit so you have a challenge and there's no national um excitement from those in power to try to create a national an architect aritecture, a military architecture that we will see a new one that will genuinely be interested in crushing this bandit and crushing this terrorist because they are terrorist. We're here.

[00:34:23]Look at what happened to Mali.

[00:34:26]We're here. Look at what happened to Mali in some part of Bhari today in Abuja people don't sleep in their houses with their eyes closed. some ina some rural communities. So the security is becoming more of a challenge and the APC government led by is not interested in it. He went to Bway he never visited those who were who are victims to to those back those terror terror terror terrorist. He was met some he arranged canopy somewhere discussed it somewhere and said it is too fighting or something and then he went to he went he also visited plateau and stopped at an airport where he talked about the light there's no light at the airport it is his responsibility to make sure we Nigerians enjoy um power uninterrupted power supply and he he transported the victims from their home and he grown those who were in the hospitals and met them in in in in an atmosphere of of partying and then left within 15 minutes or 30 minutes or so. So I think you need to see that I don't think he can connect with the what the masses are facing. He has been when you have too much comfort when you leave you have to buy private jet when you get to office that's the first thing that you want to do you you bought a private jet for 150 billion naira um you make arrangement for yard you make arrangement for private clinic you you are providing solar system worth billions of naira for yourself in the villa when you when you see a president that is creating such level of comfort I don't think he's interested in in governance he just he wanted to be president he's now president and by grabbed snash it and run with it and he's not sitting down there and enjoying the the snash mantra that he preached. So I don't think he's interested because security is bad and you can't have investors can't have foreign investors because every investors that come with the kind of land mass we have in the north we should be able to be having factories having production of Ben should be a center of production and ki but they are not because look at the land mass they have and fat harble land that is there but it's not because insecurity people can't go to farm even in my village in Kogi and the the there's no national policy to say how do we arrest this this drift to to the fact that people no longer have security to go to far there's there's nothing like that there's nothing like that so I think the cost of living is going to continue to go high because we are not moving towards production we're not moving towards sustainability of making sure that we produce what we consume especially when it comes to food Nigeria should not be imp importing food should not even be bothered of saying they lifting tariff on imported food we shouldn't brought up that because we should be feeding the whole world. We should but we can't because incompetence from our leaders and those who you know supersede over the affairs of this country spare the affairs of this country is making it difficult and I think that's why we need the government to change we need to be able to bring in people who are compassionate who have empathy and who understands what business like governance is that also in one of the press interviews he granted he said that the tunimu shettima ticket has done reputational damage to Islam.

[00:37:48]Do you agree with him?

[00:37:49]>> No. When it comes to religion, I don't like to discuss it. The people know what the people have done. What matters to the people more is that there's so much poverty today. Because of buying fuel and because of buying fuel got worse, not just because of Iran war, because the president removed fuel subsidy without planning without any way to be able to cushion the effect of that removal. Look at Abbacha. Look at what he did. We should with with the money removed PTF. They bought bosses. They they did all sort of thing. Look at Jonathan. He's the only one who removed it without consideration toward the masses we suffer. I am telling you if you are a worker the day May 29, 23 that President Bam removed that said something was gone. I saw transportation for massacre to to city center jump by 300 to 400%. Go and ask anybody jumped. There was no policy.

[00:38:40]So people who are any 100,000 to come to work my AB staff went 100,000 150,000 which is more than the national minimum wage they couldn't come they couldn't sustain it after 2 months because they told me that look at what we were paying 1,000 NRA today we pay 4,000 and how much for transport that means all their money goes into transportation so the same thing for a man who bringing tomato from Cano if the transportation will increase the cost of the cost the cost of selling that tomato And the worker who earns less will have to go to the same market that those who are ministers who are governors goes to.

[00:39:15]So that's why you find out that people are suffering today and that reputational damage that that I will concentrate on about leaving religion aside. But I know that our people in the north have learned. I'm I'm a fellow northerner. Yes, I'm a Christian but as a Christian I also have right to be a northerner. But our brothers who are in the north today they have seen that that ticket did not bring hope because the only thing a leader should give is hope as polo ever emphasize on the issue of hope for our people. No he keep on asking the poor to tighten their bed.

[00:39:48]Tighten your bed. You people are dying.

[00:39:50]He said no tighten your bed. No new hospital has been built. The old one national hospital bad maintenance level. You go to Google specialy hospital you won't be able to walk in there's no investment in our medical center there's nothing the coastal calaba um highway that is talking about that they gave to Shaguri the high techch construction company didn't pass through um appropriation act we can have this is semi detectorship we should be able to have this transparent document that show what you are spending by kilometer even the minister of of of um of war could not even define how much he was spending by kil on on the television he was asked.

[00:40:34]So we need to have this because it's public resources. There must be public accountability.

[00:40:40]Is not acting as if it's accountable to us.

[00:40:45]We don't know how they are spending the money. We don't even know which budget which budget is in operation today.

[00:40:49]Which country runs that way? Which country runs that way and survive?

[00:40:54]Spending our money. they doing whatever they doing approving money without appropriation.

[00:40:59]The private jet that was bought there was no appropriation because I haven't heard from um the who appoint who who approves everything to say anytime they bring the budget he will approve it.

[00:41:08]They already they bought it before he was saying that. So there's nothing. So we need to be able to know that the reputational damage that this government and ticket has suffered is their poor management of the economy. Is there poor treatment of the Nigerian citizen? Is there disrespect to our collective well-being? That is the poor man. That is the reputational damage they have suffered. In the religion one, those who are Muslims will be able to tell if they have represented the true interest of Muslim. They will be able to tell that if they have acted that they see that Muslims being killed in North, Christians being killed in north, if they have shown empathy towards them, none. And that should tell you what you know what will happen in the 2027 election. As we approach elections, what is the biggest threat to our democracy right now?

[00:41:56]>> The biggest threat to our democracy is the refusal of people to honor um our rotational arrangement that exist that when he does 8 years, the north will do 8 years. Tu was here. Bi was here.

[00:42:09]People respected that is our own brother from the north. We respected that. We we we we stood by that. Today is the time of the south and I think the southern should be allowed to complete their 8th year. It's my belief and I stand by it firmly and no not will just come and said you can't be contesting in every election. You should be able to have people you can trust from 2009 you a vice president. You should be able to have people you can trust and say go and be a vice presidential candidate to this person.

[00:42:38]Let the north produce young people let them produce fresh knowledge. Let them produce competent hands that can be part of the process. It can't be just be you.

[00:42:46]As I'm sitting here today, I don't believe I'm the most competent person to govern anything. I believe there are other people. But I always tell people, look, you select from the best. So, we cannot have a situation that 2027 election is being undermined by the refusal to, you know, to maintain the the sensitive nature of our of our political agreement. And the danger that comes from that is because the APC itself have decided that they do not believe in elections and they do not believe in transparency. Look at the way they pass the electoral act. Look at what they did to the electoral act. They are creating obnoxious law that do NOT HAVE A PLACE IN our laws saying that people should submit their party register within 21 days before primaries.

[00:43:28]Are you saying that section 40 of THE CONSTITUTION IS SUSPENDED WITHIN that 21 days? Because the section 40 gives you right to right to association.

[00:43:39]The right to association you have it in the constitution. Are you saying between that 21 days I have no right to associate.

[00:43:47]Why they are doing that is that they are trying to force people who who will lose election and primaries in their party from not moving out. They're not doing it for the best interest of our country.

[00:43:56]There are a lot of laws they brought a lot of renew laws they brought that does not that is that if you put just to put it with the grand laws of this country the concern of Republic OF NIGERIA WILL NOT STAND and the judiciary must wake up even in Ghana the military we are hope in the judiciary today the judiciary Nigerians are complaining that the their trust and hope in the jury is dead and if they feel they happy that they want to keep it that way let them continue the consequences will be so hard on all of us because it's supposed to be the last last buffer for a for any citizen to believe that they can go to court and get justice against the mighty and those in power. But today people don't really have confidence in that process. The judiciary must must wake up that any Nigerian that become president was elected by Nigerians and as a Nigerian has a right to be part of being a president and they should stop beholding to power. They should be responsible and committed to the sanctity of our constitution to the principles that governance must be transparent must be responsible to the ying and and and interest of the people.

[00:45:02]The the electoral empire have lost all sense of reputation. There's no reputation. There's no trust in there.

[00:45:07]It it is at all time low after the 2023 election. It became even worse with what the they have done with all the political parties. It's not just one party. They deal with ADC, they deal with um labor, they deal with NMPP, they doing it everywhere. They don't obey, they don't obey laws except they get a small phone call from behind.

[00:45:26]So the electoral umpire must know that the commission was established by law to be independent of those in power. Yes, they have the appointing authority and that's why we have to go through confirmation by the Senate and the National Assembly. So the but the appointing authority does not have total control of the commission and you should be able to know that that power was given to you in trust to conduct transparent election so that the interest of our people will be protected not for you to protect the interest of those in power and that's what the electoral empire has become that you talked about the electoral umpire chairman just recently said that uh insecurity is a threat to a credible free and fair elections and the opposition are saying is this laying an alibi for what is likely to be a flawed election. What do you make of that comment from the INC chamber?

[00:46:19]>> I don't know which data the chamber was relying on. It does not control the armed forces. The armed forces have not made such statement even in 2014 2015 prior to 2015 where conditions were really this bad but we still had an election we had election conducted in most of those areas. It is not the responsibility of my shaman to say that he's an umpire. It's not his responsibility to start saying what will affect what he should be saying is what ink will do to make elections credible.

[00:46:43]That's what he should be saying. He shouldn't be saying that kind of a thing to try to create an alibi or establish a foundation for the for the planned attempt to undermine the election.

[00:46:53]That's how Nigerian sees it. And since when is his um is partisanship leaked on social media, Nigerians have really lost it with the trust for him. But I know the commission will will survive this because there are a lot of Nigerians that are in the commission that I know they're very responsible people that really want Nigeria to work and really want election to be transparent and they should stand their ground because the election the commission alone does not revolve around the chairman. There are a lot of other people just like what Markini did in River State in in a state others can do to be able to see that we save this country. Oh, this country needs our commitment. It needs our love.

[00:47:31]We can't continue like this forever.

[00:47:32]they will get to a breaking point where everybody will suffer. We shouldn't get to that point because governance is very important. Those who are saying they will not be part of government that they don't want to be politician. I'm sorry to say that government after God dates the affairs of men on earth. So if you don't want to be you will bear the consequences for bad leadership. Today mall jab park HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY GOVERNMENT. This is where I go to do exercise with a lot of people. I used to see old there. I see people there. It's a very big place open to poor and rich.

[00:48:04]When I saw them demolishing and blocking that place, I SAW HOW THE PAIN IN THE EYES of those who are doing small and petty trading there. You have taken this one away. How do you solve security when you keep on oppressing the poor and wicked is saying that anybody would like even taking it to God that it has come to see and and that's why I tell a lot of intellectuals, a lot of my friends be partisan. It is not a sin. It is not a cause. Don't let them use that derugative language to defend it.

[00:48:34]Politics is about policy. It's about governance. It's about development. Be part of it. We can't surrender our government to people who are not who are not sensitive to our people. We don't care about the plight of the common man.

[00:48:46]We don't care about the crowd of the down. I was there. I have videos on my phone. I go to Jabil Lake Mall, Jabil Lake Park five times a week. If I'm tired by 5:00, I go there. If I'm in the afternoon, if I'm passing in the I can come down, change my clothes, do exercise, play tennis because I'm very good at playing tennis. Why from so I play tennis? I they will watch this video and they will tell you that I said it that I was there. I'm always there.

[00:49:09]So now they have government have taken it because government have overriding right on all land. Does not mean that you should be in sensitive does not mean that you should be you should detach yourself from the concerns of the public.

[00:49:22]It is this government that is meant for both the rich and the poor. and the rich should not just be the benefit of what government should be.

[00:49:28]>> You talk about the FCT minister. He said if uh Tamaki fashion of the PDP say they are they are strong enough just to saying it literally that they should open any office anywhere he will close it down. Open any bank account he will close it down. What do you make of comments like this? um is the arrogance of power and that bad thing that power you see display is not his it is from is from the president cuz it's not the president now if I was commander-in-chief oh you have pet as commander no none of his workers none of his ministers will behave like that you shouldn't be saying that which power do you have you close it down you close it down you know I there's consequences people have done worse than wiki who later saw the the negative consequence of the result what is doing today. You might think that there will not be consequences. Might think that Nigerians are very doaiile. Nigerians are not don't remember anything. They shortage their attention span on issues move on.

[00:50:27]But history will record it in the way he will record it and it will not be fair to him. And I also saw something people who campaigned that Peter B did ID card for not in an it is brazen lie. Total lie. The document is there. The person who did ID card for northerners is Roa in what have I said here about Tunu that is a lie and I'm not going to say Tunu you know went to Cano and slept and and and and try to kill some Muslims I won't say that it's not true it's a lie but I will always say the things that are true about how he managed public resources about how he's insensitive to Nigerian people not to tell lies there's no document that proves even the internet is never forget it's there that be did an ID card for not in an it was roaches okuroa while he was governor of Imo state.

[00:51:21]So I I I I end up saying this that all what whatever wicked thing is doing today. People have done worse before him. They didn't put God into the equation. Abbacha was very powerful.

[00:51:34]They didn't put God into the equation.

[00:51:35]They made mistakes. A pastor, a pastor, respected woman of God, knelt down on the altar is pleading with you to please think of poor people. You are replying the person that even if God comes down, know what level of power gets to that level. I don't think this is reasonable.

[00:51:55]And I know a lot of Nigerians are are disgusted by the things that are happening in this country. But they have decided to stay away. Staying away will not save him. The born of the boy that was shot and that died with bullet. He was sleeping in his room.

[00:52:10]Stay away. What will save us is participatory democracy. We must be involved. We must canvas our neighbors to vote. We must tell because Nigerian population we're going to maybe cross 100 million voters by the next before the 227 election and we can't be having less than 10% going out to vote. If we have 40% of that population go out to they will overwhelm THE SYSTEM AND THE SYSTEM WILL SURRENDER AND we will elect the person of our choice. The reason why rigging is so easy is when there's no mass participation when there's mass participation and the interest is obvious that the people want to be able to determine the cost of their own future without anything the government will stay back. How many are they going to kill? They can't. soldiers have friends, they have family, they have loved ones, they will go back. But when there's scanty participation, they they will be more stronger in carrying out those evil plans against our people. So I've talked to all the all the academy, I go to university, I tell them I I'm going to deliver another speech at the University of Abuja political, you know, event on 28th. I will go I'm still going to tell intellectuals there and scholars, please don't run away from politics, students. H this country was in in the '90s. The guineies, theis the the from the 70s. IT WAS RUN BY STUDENTS, NOT THE STUDENT OF TODAY, NOT the N of today that goes to the president that go to government house to collect money. It was student THAT WERE IN CHARGE. THERE ARE NO TELEPHONE, NO MIND YOU people like great Oracle, ABDU, THEY WERE IN PRISON. WHAT THEY DO IS THAT from Abuja, University of George, sorry, Abuja was not there. They move in the night and appear in University of Lagos. We were we were we were like we were see if you look at the way we were looking at these young people but the mistake what mistake did they make Abaka um what's his name? Yes. What mistake they made? Let me tell you the mistake they made. They say in 1999 that they will not participate in politics.

[00:54:03]All of them they agree they're not going to participate because they refused to participate. The only person amongst them who who tried to part who went was cross river governor. He was part of those who were doing all agitation. um um Donad Duke became governor and you saw what he did because his view of politics was different. He tried to create Tinapa. If Tinapa was sustained, it would have been any foreign currency for us today. But it wasn't sustained and government does not know how to do what China have done by federal government thinking that it's not a state policy. It's not a state property. It should be a Nigerian state policy there such level of infrastructure. We would have invested billion to it. make it a recreational park so that our president don't go to vacation in France and in London just like American president will go to camp David China will remain in China you understand we should have done that so most of those people young people who were who were active who were ci civil society activists did not know that they needed to transform to political activist in order to be in government to now transform our country and they left it for Bukanas politicians who came and bastardize the economy and turn us one naira the level of naira which are now been worsened by tunable government to 1,400 something.

[00:55:17]We cannot leave it for them. They are not interested in this country. It is us as a people. We must make sure this country work and staying one side does not change that you will not be affected by the wrong policy um um implementation of this government.

[00:55:32]>> Thank you very much. Thank you. It's a pleasure always having you around.

[00:55:35]>> Thank you.