"NDC stands an excellent chance in 2027" - Funsho Doherty

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]Let's turn to one of the biggest stories making the rounds this week as a former governorship candidate in Lagos State Fun Doati last week resigned his membership of the African Democratic Congress ADC to join Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC. Now in a statement announcing his defection last week, Dohati said he had hoped that the ADC would become a vehicle for opposition unity. According to him, he joined the NDC after quote after due consultations.

[00:00:29]careful deliberations and uh prayerful reflections.

[00:00:33]>> You recall that in April he had announced his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election on the platform of the ADC. But the party is currently embroiled in leadership disputes which has led to several stakeholders uh leaving and defecting from the party and and that's exactly what we've seen. They've moved to the Nigerian Democratic Congress. But let's have him here with us because he's here actually in person and we'll be talking about a whole lot. Let's talk about the uh Lego state politics and much more.

[00:01:06]Joining us is the man himself. Ladies and gentlemen, we do have Mr. Fusha Doati here with us. Thank you for being here.

[00:01:13]>> Hey, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure. Warm welcome to you.

[00:01:16]>> Welcome. Thank you for joining us. I think the first question would be a question that everyone has been asking.

[00:01:22]It's been a it's been a ride if you put it that way. Um if we look from the political parties I mean it was the PDP of recent then it was the ADC and now the NDC. Um and all with a target to ensure that like you've said the Lagos is liberated from the hands of the All Progressives Congress. Um first of all you've moved in quick succession to the NDC. M can you confirm to us that this is as a result of the fact that the ADC is embroiled with a lot of political tussles or is it as a result of the fact that the ADC's um decision to run a political party is quite different from that of yours.

[00:02:08]>> Um so I I mean I think we are all um witness to uh the turmoil that we've seen recently in the political space.

[00:02:18]Um the ADC if you recall was this vehicle that we all thought would be a place where opposition could come together be united to fight a ruling party that has moved very aggressively to consolidate its power you know in in many dimension using the privileges of office as well. So um of course um the ADC then itself was I would say also targeted and faced also its own share of challenges both litigations and other types of challenges.

[00:02:54]Now uh in addition to that of course there has been the simmering discussion about uh the the ambitions of some of the principal actors within the ADC >> and how those will be resolved over time because you know people felt strongly about their ambitions.

[00:03:14]So ultimately uh what then happened was that uh after the Supreme Court judgment on the ADC which reinforced the uncertainty around ADC by sending it back to the lower court to start that litigation process all over. Um shortly after that we had the decision of um uh his excellency Mr. Peter will be one of the principal actors to move to the NDC and once that happens um um effectively you have two blocks within um what was one one block the coalition. So uh for those of us who are uh within the party contesting at the regional level such as myself who is contesting a governorship race, you have to decide which uh of the two sides you're going to stand on because no decision is not an option. You have to make a decision and ultimately the decision we made was that uh the NDC was the was the um the right decision uh for us. Um ultimately um the when you think about that decision there are a couple of things that go into it. Uh one is the legal uncertainties that we've said. The other is the political realities and then finally is you know where do you feel most comfortable which which do you think aligns most with your own uh individual values and that kind of thing. And ultimately those are the three basis upon which I made the judgment that I made.

[00:04:46]>> Okay. Mhm. Now, critics uh often say that defection in Nigerian politics are driven more by viability than ideology.

[00:04:56]Uh beyond the leadership crisis uh in the ADC, what concrete ideological or structural uh differences convinced you that NDC is better positioned to deliver governance in Lagos State? vehicle which you want to ride upon to uh you know get to governor's office in Alowsa.

[00:05:19]>> Well, you know, if you look at a lot of what has happened in terms of the way people have moved across party, you know, it's not in anybody's interest to be having to move from party to party.

[00:05:31]You know, if you could stay in one party and the party was stable and it wasn't under threat from external factors and all you wouldn't have any reason to move. So when people move and people say you know you are jumping from one place to let's be realistic you know we are all we we're all witness to what is going on. So people are doing what they have to do to ensure that they can be in the game to bring the benefits that they want to bring or to to to do the work that they want to do. And I am not going to sit down somewhere and allow you know the um machinations that we see to leave you in a place where the the work you want to do in government you're not in a position to do. So you have to keep doing somebody said you know when you are running and if you are running for your life you're being chased by an animal. You won't stop and say let me rest. You keep going.

[00:06:20]>> But there's still people in the end in the ADC as you speak.

[00:06:24]>> Yes. But you know I explained to you the decision process that I went through.

[00:06:27]someone else can go through that decision process and reach a different conclusion for themselves. It's an individual decision you just as in the first place we didn't all select the same party when we started out in politics in the same way you know when you have people will make individual decisions for me I just felt that the things I care about which is bringing um inclusive governance particularly in Lagos moving from a culture of extraction to a culture of inclusion something that drives the benefit of governance uh to deliver the the the most for the greatest number. Um I think the platform when I look at the two sides, the side that I think most aligns with that is the NDC. And you know, time will tell, >> right? Time will tell indeed. I mean, do you have also have to ask about your faith in the leadership of the NDC? Do you think that they have it in him to stare, you know, um the ship both nationally and at state level uh to make the race come 2027 a three-man horse race or even a two-man horse race? And also um there's all I mean there's always been argument about new parties coming on the scene and not having you know the structure or the grassroot roots where I can speak to those two things.

[00:07:39]>> So so so I want you to speak to those two things.

[00:07:42]>> So so um first of all the leadership of the NDC I would say that you know the principal drivers behind the NDC are very experienced politicians. The national leader is um um uh Senator Sarak Dixon who if you look at the political space and his political involvement in the space there are very few people you'll point to that will say have had more experience in their political trajectory than he has. Um he's very resolute.

[00:08:10]uh he shares the same values you know in terms of people centered governance and um and so we have a lot of um respect for him and and and belief in his um in his leadership as a national leader but beyond that I think um you know if you if you look at at you know even others within the um constellation call it that way from you know those that are aspiring at the presidential level um to those that are aspiring at the governorship level it it gives you that level of confidence and and and I think that you know when I make such a decision is not taken lightly. Um and um and and my decision to join should also be viewed as you know a signal I think of uh of what I see.

[00:08:54]>> Now um your second question which has to do with new parties and whether they have structure or not. You see one thing you have to realize is that this thing that we call structure is actually human beings.

[00:09:06]>> It's not like buildings right? It is human beings who are in the local governments who are in the wards um and who are interacting with the um electorate on behalf of the party. Now um these human beings are the same human beings. So in other words the population of Alimos local government area the people there you know do not change from necessarily you know massively from one to the other. The point I'm making is that the people that were within the PDP structure, many of them ended up in the ADC structure and those same people, many of them are now in the NDC structure. Do you see what I mean? Yes, sir.

[00:09:46]>> So the structure is not a building that sits in PDP and cannot move. No, the situ the structure is people >> and as the people and their as their leaders move, the people move and so the structure remains. And so the ADC when we were there was made up of about three or four different tendencies.

[00:10:04]The same thing you find in NDC today.

[00:10:05]You find different tendencies of people who have followed that political journey because remember there's there's something that is driving them. So they are all responding to the same thing and ending up you know where they ultimately choose to end up.

[00:10:18]>> That's a that's a that's a tough one. um especially when um the current incumbent feels that the structure has got to do with one that has been built over the years.

[00:10:29]>> So they feel since a new party is coming, do they really have it built or they're about to start and then they want to go into the 2027 election? But >> in all of that said and done, um there's a name that has been ringing especially in the minds of Legosians. Uh there are two of them. One of them is the current um deputy governor >> who has gotten um huge support uh from the APC including the support from the president himself >> to run >> for the the Lagos state governor. Um also you have another one who's u who was part of the obedient movement labor party um well ever roads who has said listen I'm not going to move >> Mhm.

[00:11:14]>> to the NDC I'm going to stay in the ADC and I also compete.

[00:11:19]>> This means that if you are of course pick up the ticket and you're running you will have to go >> headtohead with these uh two names that have been mentioned. Mhm.

[00:11:31]>> Do you think that the NDC stands an equal chance especially looking at the APC and what it's done in Lagos State and with the support that the deputy governor is getting?

[00:11:43]>> Um so um let me start with the answer to your sort of the the the conclusive answer to your question and come explain why. The conclusive answer to your question is that not only do we stand a chance, we stand an excellent chance and we stand a better chance in 2027 than we have in in any cycle that I can remember previously and I'll explain why.

[00:12:10]Yes, you may say that the deputy governor enjoys support within his party. I expect him to enjoy within support within his party. That's his party, right? So they may have chosen to um to um endorse him and he will be their candidate if ultimately they bring it to fruition. That does not mean he's the candidate of the people. Right?

[00:12:32]Um now when you even think about the APC and their sojon in Lagos, I will argue that there's no evidence that APC is a popular party.

[00:12:46]Yes, they are in office.

[00:12:51]But if you look at the last election, for example, Lagos has 7 something million registered voters.

[00:13:02]The total votes cast in the last election was about a million one, a million two, something like that. That's 15%.

[00:13:11]Of which APC probably got about 700,000.

[00:13:14]So they were elected on 700,000 votes >> out of 7 million registered voters just 10% registered voters in a population of almost 20 to 30 million. So there's no evidence that that is a popular government, >> right? Um now if you think about 1 million out of 7 million votes, that is one out of seven.

[00:13:36]That means for every one person that came and voted, six people who could have voted and were registered either did not call or whatever did not vote.

[00:13:48]So if one out of those six people that did not come comes, the vote will go from 1 million to 2 million votes. Do you see the point? M >> so depending on how that extra vote goes the the the outcome could be just dramatically different from what you see >> presently it would have been a different thing if APC was elected with 6 million out of the 7 million votes. Do you see what I mean?

[00:14:15]>> I get that.

[00:14:16]>> Then you are in like in a different ball game. Right. So um now I would just add to that sort of in conclusion of this um um answer to your question that um you and I are living in Nigeria. We're living in Lagos. We see what people are going through over the last four years. The other day I was in a car. The guy was driving me and all he could all he was talking about throughout the time he was driving me was how the the fortunes of his business. He's just a driver. He drives a a a a vehicle, a commercial vehicle.

[00:14:54]How he's the fortunes of his business have dramatically declined as petrol has gone from 200 to 1,300.

[00:15:06]This is one factor. Can you imagine what 200 to 1,300 does to somebody who is >> who who petrol is his biggest cost >> that is of like 40% 30% income that that's that's that's hundreds of percent actually. So now that's just one thing there are many other things that in fact impact the quality of life of the people. So the the electorate is in a very difficult place far more difficult than they were in the last cycle and the cycle before that. So there's a lot of discontent in the system. So um I think that many of the assumptions that you know APC has been in power for 30 years and you know they are you know they are you know they're unassailable and all of that. I think all of those things must be taken with a with a huge pinch of salt. Let's let's just um observe. Let's wait and see. I think 2027 will be um an unusual and you can see already that it is unusual in terms of the even the political um um what would you glad gladiators that are moving up and down the things that we the politicians are doing you can see that it's an unusual environment >> right >> if you let me just quickly if you talk to politicians who have been in this game for >> for 50 60 years >> there are people in their 80s and you ask them have you seen an political environment like this before they will tell you no that we've seen many different kinds of political environment but this one we don't understand it in the last I have been to three conventions >> in the last 6 months three political party conventions >> PDP ADC >> yes I was in Ibado I was in Abuja for the ADC and I this just this last weekend I was in Abuja for the NDC do you think I want to go to three convention if I could have gone to one convention that's what I would have done >> but let's come back to Nigeria's present reality ities and talk about the facts on ground. A lot of people are leaving >> below the poverty line and that would be a huge contributory factor to the elections. Uh it's your second outing.

[00:17:07]Yeah.

[00:17:08]>> Uh chasing the governorship seats and I'm sure lessons have been learned from 2023 and strategies will change and you've shared some of them uh with us here today. But looking at the juggernaut that is the APC in Lagos states they've been there uh since 1999 and uh in different forms though and people and just this morning on our wake up conversations we were showing a story of >> you know Ghana must go bags stuffed with uh envelopes of cash. Uh it was written balinu empowerment cash empowerment program. uh we've seen a lot of poverty, illiteracy and economic strife in the country and unfortunately uh many people have been victims of the weaponization of poverty by the political class. So how do you intend do you have a huge I mean Lagos state is the I mean they they have the highest in the country it's almost its economy is bigger than that of most West African countries. So what war chest are you going to the financial war chest which I mean we can't do without money politics in in Nigeria and in most uh parts of the world. So how would you convince the people to to you know try something different and vote for you?

[00:18:31]>> Well um >> as against those who are making it rain as they say in rap. No, no. So, so, >> so I look the question you're asking is um is an interesting one. Look, will we have as much cash or resources to deploy as the incumbent government? If that if that's part of the question, the answer to that is no, we will not uh you know because they have all the resources, you know, including you know, some of the resources of the state to apply. For example, at the federal level, for example, now there's something >> those are very heavy allegations, you know, there.

[00:19:06]>> No. Well, I mean, okay, I we can go into it. So, there's a renewed hope agenda that is being rolled out across the federation today.

[00:19:13]>> Mhm.

[00:19:13]>> Um, which was which was announced by a press statement coming directly, official press statement from the presidency talking about how APC governors and so on. So, it's not I'm not this is not this is what we see. I'm not making stuff up. But, let's leave that because you know the question that you asked is a different one. Now, um, see, you see, this election is not going to be about us having to convince everybody that they need something else. People know that they need something else. We will do our work. You understand? We will do our work. But if people don't believe that they need a change, all the work that you are trying to do will not succeed. But they have people have to be at a place where they know that their situation right is not ideal and can be changed. But talking about people that might not need a change, you know, they >> they see the um I guess the the B I'm sorry, the standards have dropped or they have low expectations cuz when you compare the APC Lagos state to other states in Nigeria, they think, "Wow, this is Dubai, this is Singapore compared to other states, uh IGR, they see the rail, >> uh so let me let me just the rail and all of those things." Let me let me jump in here. Most people are not thinking the way you're thinking. Most people are not thinking about what is happening in Dubai. They are not thinking about GDP.

[00:20:43]Do you understand? Most people are thinking, you know, they don't have water. The other day there was somebody campaigning in Lagos Island. And what was he campaigning with? He was taking water to them in tankers.

[00:20:54]>> This is somebody who is in the ruling party that has been there for 30 years.

[00:20:58]Do you see what I mean?

[00:20:59]>> Isn't it an indictment if you are taking water to people in a tanker? If you have been governing a place for 30 years, >> isn't this an indictment? Eh, so people know and people are know what they experiencing. They know what they're experiencing in terms of transportation.

[00:21:13]They know experience in terms of healthcare. They know what they experience in terms of education in Lagos state public schools for example.

[00:21:19]>> But when we look at the local government elections, there were not really that many turnout as well. So people don't low voter turnout. You were going somewhere with the >> but I wanted I'll come back to this point now that education take like education in Lagos in 2024. Do you know >> that of the public children in public schools in Lagos state more failed than past the failure rate was 50 something%.

[00:21:44]M >> official data from from Lego state listing that means if you put a child in Lego state public school that child is more likely to fail than they are to pass based on that data right so this is the reality you can say GDP is whatever you can say that when you go and you go to cities around the world and you ask is this a developed city you don't ask how many bridges do they have how many roads do they have right or you don't ask what is happening in Dubai. You ask about the people there. What is the quality of their healthcare? What is the quality of their education? What is the quality? What is their human development indicators? You got it.

[00:22:22]>> So that is what you when you measure on that basis which is what people are living every day. The answer is quite clear.

[00:22:28]>> What was the point you you >> no voter turnout how to inspire them?

[00:22:31]There's still time I wish we could have enough time to answer that question where we keep getting prompted. I must say thank you Mr. Fraati for taking out the time to join us. We hope we wish you success in this uh this new outing. And we hope for the best.