MORNING SPRING: OYO APC PRIMARY: TEST OF FIRE — CAN THE CENTER HOLD?

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:06]This is still morning spring on western spring television where we say it as it is. Let's talk about the ABC primaries especially in Oest. By the way, many of the candidates are said to have been uh you know they have emerged and they have been declared in Lagos. Um, states um you know states which of course is his only election is just less than 3 months away now and many part of the state initi state I'm talking about the APC now in state next month the people of a will be choosing either to reelect the candidate of the APC the incumbent uh Mr. Iame or other pressings and in your state it has been said that Senator Sharafin Ali as a match as a candidate of the APC in O state but that has not just gone like that without skirmishes without concerns without call of what in Niger we call and that has come from the former minister of power adu who after voting yesterday was already complaining about a regular ularities in many of the polling units and words you know of the APC in your state. Let's allow you have a sense of how the primaries went in your state.

[00:01:36]This world belongs to me 100%. And I'm very satisfied with what we witnessed here today. out of about 40 437 registered members. Entire 430 voted for a labu which is almost 100%. I'm so happy it's quite peaceful. There's no hilarism you know there's no violence here and the the the conduct of election was peaceful. I'm satisfied with the one I witnessed here. But I must send this note of caution that it is not this way in a lot of other words.

[00:02:17]Reports reaching me stated that there are lot of gross misconducts in a lot of the other words ranging from various forms of uh infractions.

[00:02:39]In some words, they conducted the election hours before the appointed time before our people started getting there. They've already conducted the election and they wrote the figures they liked. In some words, our people were prevented from voting.

[00:02:57]They were intimidated. They were chased away violently.

[00:03:01]And in some words, voting did not take place at all. But they recorded numbers for them.

[00:03:08]So all this kind of misconduct is not good at this stage of our democracy in Nigeria and something has to be done about it.

[00:03:21]We are going to write serious petitions against all these things that took place in Oy state not just in Ibado across all the five zones in O state. Well, we're happy. We can all see the process is fair is free. So, people are here to express their desire and that's what exactly they have done.

[00:03:46]>> Okay. They have come out in large number. How does this make you feel?

[00:03:51]>> It makes me very happy that I'm accepted and wanted by my community. I want to advise my fellow aspirants. Let me first of all say that so far the conduct of election has been very smooth free so far and I want to appeal to all my co aspirants that we should just please accept the results of these primaries.

[00:04:24]Whoever emerges, we all must work with him so that our party can recapture oil state which we have lost since seven 7 years ago. And to the party members, I urge them to remain calm.

[00:04:38]I thank them for coming out in large numbers. Not just here. If you go to all other words, some other local governments, you see all of them there.

[00:04:46]You see them coming out in large numbers. young, old men, women who are there, the young the young ones, you see them in large numbers. So I just want to appeal to them to remain committed to the party that after today we should continue to work towards the general election.

[00:05:13]>> All right. Uh that's just a hang of how it went. While the declared winner of that primary as far as APC Goa is concerned candidacy rather you know your state Ali said at that time everything went well and he was urging you know his copper to support whoever he matched that particular clip he made it while the conductor was on uh you know the other aspirants that's Mr. debu that's his popular alias was saying while the conduct was good in his place he scored 430 over 430 what he got the news he got from other polling units all right primary units where that particular conduct was on at the time was irregularity manipulations harassment of the supporters not even allowing them you know um to enter into those spaces where they are supposed to um vote for him and finally Shahad Ali has been announced as candidate of the party. But is that all really will just throw in the toel and support the candidacy of Shahadin Ali or is this golly in the APC that will get widened by the day with what has happened. We are being joined by Dr. Aay is an APC stakeholder and a media director and joins us virtually. Good morning. Thank you for joining.

[00:06:51]>> Uh good morning sir.

[00:06:53]>> Thank you for joining us.

[00:06:55]>> Morning Nigerians. Uh let me start by saying uh >> all right be before you give it a go before you give it a go uh let's start with the sheer scale of the math because we have seen figures that Senator Ali the eventual winner declared winner of that APC go back has been said to score votes uh to the tune of over 570,000 in a direct primary by the way and in a state where opposition um mobilization is tough off. Critics are calling these figures cosmetic and unrealistic.

[00:07:32]As a, you know, as a media handler, as a media practitioner, what do you say to these figures and general conduct of the APC primaries across W and local government in your state?

[00:07:46]>> Well, thank you. uh regarding the figure uh this is politics and you know when we talking about politics we should be talking about the strategies and implementation that goes around with the politics as a game and talking politics itself is a game initially seeing that figure let me tell you the fact this morning for the fact that progressive family the family state out in massive number know to vote to support for their pre candidate. It shows people are ready in state. Let's forget about um the figure is too much because that shows people came out yesterday to first massively. I don't think there should be a a rumor a reason you know for for for argument there should not be a reason for us to be stressing ourselves asking ourel where the figure came from how do they implement something they do maybe they doed something or not this is politics but let me just tell you the straight fact this morning. Uh are they been the likes of the former minister uh Baru the other governorship as they been the you know the supremacy power from above the party decision the the know the the the resolution of the APC the progressive family had it been the the the decision favored in will he come out you know to talk or to fight against the party this is a progressive family. It has been like that from day one even from the you know from the time and her of our forefathers I mean the founders of the progressive family this progressive family is quite different from conservative family that is a fact having 11 aspirants governorship aspirants in state and you need just only one person to sit on that seat you know how do you go about that for the fact that former minister himself knew already knew the the the process is he is not a new member in in progressive family. So barister should be able you know to to to come out straight fact to tell his followers and the good people of state that this is my party. are already aware you know and adapted with the system just because the decision now from the supremacy from the presidency from the party as a whole national level and also at the state level the decision is not favoring them that's why they came out and say maybe >> sorry let me let me quickly just b in and ask this you said we should forget about the numbers um how much was pulled and all of those things let me put something on record here and um everybody can check.

[00:10:52]>> All right.

[00:10:53]>> 20th of March that was in the in 2023 the election that produc the governor now outgoing governor Shak got 564,000 564,000 to imagine winner as the winner of that election. the closest challenger then Teslar got 266,000 this got 38,000 in the last election now we are not talking about a delegate election not an indirect at a direct primary figures are being returned and is said to have scored more than 570,000 in a direct primary make it make sense Yeah.

[00:11:43]>> Oh, thank you. I I really appreciate that your submission. But let me tell you something that your you know that calculation I I must confess to you.

[00:11:53]>> It's an official it's an official figure for my neck. So it's not my calculation.

[00:11:58]Definitely definitely I know I know that your own submission even though that was the the calculation and the the the news the result >> entire votes that return back there were 564 >> that one is a general vote now you had a direct primary not a delegate primary and 570,000 was returned for Shahadin Ali just making >> you know one thing I don't number one I'm a professional broadcaster not a journalist.

[00:12:31]>> I don't have anything to do with >> the high >> but I must tell you the fact this morning my brothers that it shows people massively flipped out to vote for you know for their preferred candidate.

[00:12:48]Let me tell you something.

[00:12:50]Either by direct primary or by concession matter, there must be a target.

[00:12:57]There must be a target. Now, I live in a in a world where we have more than 500 folks or maybe 400 300 plus at the end of the day out of almost 300 and something walls in oil state without calculation it shows people really trooped out. Let's talk about doctrine or manipulating or rigging all stuffs.

[00:13:23]It shows people are ready to vote for >> their candidate. That's all I can say regarding that.

[00:13:30]>> Well, doctor, um we've been >> we've been talking about numbers. We've been talking about numbers for now and we've had videos earlier. I mean that was yesterday or you know some we've had videos where we saw cues and we saw people we saw the person who was taking the the numbers jumping the queue and you know counting a particular person more than twice three times four times and even jumping numbers you jump from uh you jump from 10 to whatever maybe 50 or all of those irregularities. I'd like to ask you you know plainly and concretely to tell us if this did not play out you know in the elections that's on the one hand on two on and on on the second hand we have heard reports of pockets of violence in Okongo in Ibado we know around this and Labu himself said in his own word everything went smoothly and it's something you can confirm to us whether he's telling the truth or not and there.

[00:14:39]They said in other places there were irregularities. How did these you know how do you think these does not affect the eventual outcome of the whole thing?

[00:14:50]>> Thank you my my sister. Oh let me tell you the fact politics is a game. That's the fact. It's a it's a game. Now uh when the alignment the system the decision the resolution of the party is not favoring our people you understand that they will have to say this and that because it's not favoring them ask himself the decision at the end favored him what will happen are you telling me now that himself is aware the ideology the the the the system of the progressive family he's aware it's just a matter of wasting time disturbing people the good people of all state threatening ourselves >> okay so I like to ask you doctor please let me permit me to come in here what's the ideology of the progressives I mean from what you're saying you had a primary people voted so if the votes are not is not what counted is it the votes that counted or you the the party had an anointed candidate in senator I mean Charafin Ali is that what is playing out here?

[00:16:05]Thank you. There is nothing like an candidate. There is nothing like an annotated candidate. Although as a party the party might you know have their own their own pre candidates but at the even if it's just let's say if possible we should go for the concess but now that we have a direct primary we are not even talking about concessor.

[00:16:28]Now this is a direct primary. People came out, trooped out, voted for their candidate. Their votes their votes were were counted on no and was declared. It shows uh people voice out you know speak out in a large volume to to to for for their pre candidate and as a party as a progressive family each party each political party has their own way of doing things. In progressive family there are leaders, they are stakeholders, they are forefathers, they are mentor, they are godfathers as well.

[00:17:02]Let me put it that way. There are people who build the party. There are people who will look up to in the party made a decision the supremacy level and the party either at the state or the national make decision. Everybody should be able to align with what the party wants. And let me come back to your question. Now there's nothing like an candidate. We we never had an candidate in state. Everybody went out on the direct primary and their people came or troop out to vote FOR THEM. SO WHY ARE WE ARGUING?

[00:17:37]You don't need to argue.

[00:17:39]There shouldn't be a room for argument on this matter. The people of state has came out trooped out at the direct primary to vote for their pre candidates. That's all. WHAT SHOULD WE SHOULD BE WAITING FOR? The new phase of our state. How do we give back to society? How do we give back to our people? The dividend of democracy. How do we want to return it to the grassroots? The local government of economy. How do we how do we set IT OUT?

[00:18:04]WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO have the idea, somebody who have the orientation, somebody who have the experience, political experience and exposure.

[00:18:13]Can you are you telling ME NOW WE SHOULD COMPARE SOMEBODY WHO JUST CAME OUT to contest for a governor?

[00:18:16]>> Permit permit me to come in here. Yeah.

[00:18:19]Uh you are saying that um abso there is no anointed candidate but in your submission you talked about how the leaders of the party even from Abuja many persons have thrown up the name of the president that this is who the president wants and so if that is not an anointing of a candidate what do you mean why you approbating and reapprobating at the same time?

[00:18:45]>> All right thank you. Uh few weeks ago I was in Abuja >> with my Dr. who happens to be one of the >> All right. Are you with us?

[00:19:01]All right. We'll try and reestablish that connection because we need that u uh you know the clarification because it initially said everybody in knows the >> before the primary election. You know what happened? Ah the agreed. I agreed. I should be able to agree with that your submission. But let me state it clearly.

[00:19:23]>> What are you agreeing with?

[00:19:25]>> Hold on sir. You're agreeing with what?

[00:19:29]>> I agree with your submission that the presidency mentioned and invited view of the experience to the they had a meeting.

[00:19:40]Everybody just came after the meeting that okay I'm having the I'm having the proof and the backup of the presidency.

[00:19:44]Even the minister even told us in the news we read that the presidency told the president told him directly to go and contest for state governor which is not possible and I have I have a principal who is a who is an aspirant also. I knew the level of the consultation we made before we stepped down. Every aspirant in state already knew the idea and the process and the procedure you know to choose the candidate for state. Let's go back to the likes of au state Lego state or another states in southwest they made a concession there never been a room for you know a room for a primary election other state but here as says we don't want concession so we want to go for the primary day we have the primary so why why are we here to be arguing or to be you know to be clamoring and shouting up and down and say okay they've doctor the the result they they this thing it's not possible All right. All right.

[00:20:46]>> Don't do things that way.

[00:20:48]>> All right. Let me ask you now. You have been on uh another divide before. You were say to right honorable at some point. So you've tasted how things are done on this side and on that side. Now if this internal fiction because people know that Labu had something similar in the last election.

[00:21:10]and he had to go to a court party, right? And so if this is not uh tamed as well or handled well and it defects now with the latest pronouncement of the court that Ink can reopen party registration and all of those things that came out yesterday, if it decides to move to another party and work against your party, is that not a problem? And talking about what used to obtain in the PDP while you were there to what obtains in the APC, some say this is a 2022 um drama playing out again where when the APC failed to put his out in order and they failed allowing Governor Shimak to cost home you know on a large scale to victory. Is that not what we are seeing right now?

[00:22:00]>> Yo thank you. Uh let me start from where you know you you you you asked the question. I was a former uh special assistant on mobilization to the right honorable speaker of your state right honorable >> uh 2023 I contested on the platform uh under the platform of allied people's movement APM as a federal representative federal repres the the president and the national election that I defected and camp to support governor It was after you know I've been appointed and all this drama that you know went through then I had to drop the you know the appointment you know and defected back to APC. It's a long story though but the fact remains that in politics all man for himself a leader who is not ready to build you a leader who is not ready to listen to you. A leader who is only concerned about himself shouldn't be able to you should you shouldn't consider that kind of a leader.

[00:23:11]>> Is that who right honorable Adoi is that who he is or is that who he was to you?

[00:23:19]>> Can you come again? Sorry the question is not clear. that that you're describing the leader who does not support or build a person is that who right honorable adul is that who he was to you at the time.

[00:23:34]Uh the fact remains that uh is a brother, a blood brother, a friend uh and a boss. But you know one thing uh being being a social media handler and activist and also as a politicians I also have followers and people around me politically. The fact remains that in politics there must be an agreement. There was an agreement between me and right honorable which he failed to fulfilled. So when once you are not able to fulfill your promise I don't see the reason why I should be able to you know to align with you or to go ahead with you. That's a fact from him. So I need some we need somebody we're talking about leader who is ready fully ready to build others. A leader who see himself as one of his followers.

[00:24:26]A leader who gave rooms for his followers.

[00:24:29]>> Is that the conviction?

[00:24:31]>> Yeah. Is that the conviction you have?

[00:24:32]>> Let me go back to Albu.

[00:24:36]>> Is that the conviction you are having now about leaders who should carry his followers and build the people are supporting him? Is that the conviction you having with Sha Ali now?

[00:24:47]>> Sorry, it's straining. I can't hear that question. But he's training every kind of leader who will rally supporters, who will build them, who will support them. Is that leader for you, Sharafin Ali in the APC? Now, >> yeah. Let me tell you something. or you are just doing your work that no no no wait see Ali has been a very good boss a leader who definitely personally I personally believe and we other people's my people my team believed in him that he already has the experience the orientation the exposure he had the idea of political idea he started I think he started from the grass at the local government with chief of staff and then later promoted to the chair local government chairman and also came to the to to serve as the chief of staff and also the SSG to the local government to the to the state. Once a senator presently a serving senator WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY like him you know as your governor in the state are you telling me you want to compare Ali with it's not possible I'm not here to you know to the fame or no to know to to to to uh you know to to to say something because of time uh my earlier question all right my earlier question is >> you ask a question. You ask me a question.

[00:26:12]>> If things are not handled properly and decides to work against your party, is APC not in trouble again?

[00:26:23]There is nothing like trouble in APC.

[00:26:25]See, politics is a game and it's normal.

[00:26:28]WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT POLITICS SHOULD be considering okay the the political violence the toy aspect violence aspect you know confrontations align together with politics and now uh I don't think we have problem we have issue APC when it's time for available to govern your state we should we we by then we we have some people who should be they should be ready to step down they should be ready to bow out for him. We have 11 11 aspirant government aspirants in our state and we need only one person you know to lead us. How do we go about it?

[00:27:07]So we need to go for the best among among them. The best among them who have question the question I ask is if Adu decides not to work for your party if the party leaders will not re him in will that not the chance of emerging or of APC producing the government. That's what I'm saying. if he decides to work against.

[00:27:35]>> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Let me tell you something. I believe will work for the party, I believe he will definitely work for the party at the end of the day. And if he choose not to work for the party, I wish him all the best because LET ME TELL YOU, IF he fail to work for the party, what will be his game now? You once a former governor of deputy governor of CBN and also former minister in Nigeria.

[00:28:07]So are you there? Are you still there?

[00:28:11]Are you there rather? Okay. All right. I guess we will have to reconnect with you. Uh because um it's what is >> the going to be you know a reconation committee to sort things out. So we don't I don't think that we have problem in APC personally.

[00:28:27]>> All right.

[00:28:28]>> All right. Um we've been asking you I mean we've talked about this friction and how you intend I'd like to ask you how the party intends to manage this.

[00:28:39]>> What are the mechanisms on ground to bring about the agrieved parties in this case chief ado who one time ran on the platform of the accord? What if he chooses to go back to that and the accord is not the only you know party at this time. the APN that you also run on is still there and he could decide to go there and especially with the structure that he has in the party as well. Do you not think that he's a formidable force enough to turn things around or to spoil things for the APC to be a big spoiler for you know this for your candidacy or for your candidate as well?

[00:29:18]>> Thank you for that question. I said it earlier on. There's nothing like spoiling APC as a party.

[00:29:26]Don't forget something. We don't let us compare an individual with a party. We are here talking about supporting or working against the party.

[00:29:38]Alabu is an individual.

[00:29:41]In APC we have different individuals who has the capacity you know the crowd the followers the party followers the party lovers and other political parties there's going to be a collation at the end of this system so there's nothing like spoiling anything if god say yes no man can say >> all right family >> let me come in here again at this time you know you know state here the APC primaries didn't didn't really go smoothly either in other parts Okay.

[00:30:11]>> Yeah. Even in or your state, it didn't go well over I mean across the country it didn't go well. Is that saying something about the conduct of the primaries of the APC? And if you have several agrieved passes across board across the state for a particular election, it's kind of spelling doom already before we even get to the polls.

[00:30:33]>> Well, thank you. As this morning I spoke, I'm with you. Let me tell you something. APC, we are one in state. We are one. There is nothing like agrieved.

[00:30:43]Now if there's going to be any any faction of agrieved member there should be a round table which I believe there's going to be a round table discussion you know they will have to settle the dispute. They have to set to the reconciliation they have to reconcile the issue on GR even in the next few weeks. Now let me tell you the people of state and the good people of APC state who know will have the cause to smile at the end because I I I let me let me let me say something. The question now is had it been the decision of the party, the idea of the supremacy at the national level of progressive family.

[00:31:18]Are they doing the resolution and the decision favored?

[00:31:25]Will it come out you know to to seek sympathy from the good people of Nigeria that want no no let's call all that is happening now is because the decision is done and favoring you and mainly the decision can never favor all of you.

[00:31:43]DECISION WILL EITHER FAVOR SOMEBODY JUST THE one out of you and which has happened. So what happen now is just to play along everybody should come together for the victory of APC as the party.

[00:31:55]>> Yeah.

[00:31:56]>> Yes sir. Um um you know as your part in short if it is cemented just like it has been announced that the candidate will be Sharafin Ali your former boss's boss >> Shimak okay >> is moving his structure and having a collaboration from the PDP with the same APM that you are part of sometime in the past head forhead toe to toe one onone shafali and adi of mak What will it be?

[00:32:28]>> Thank you. Are you now comparing?

[00:32:33]>> I'm talking about candidate versus candidate structure versus structure.

[00:32:38]>> Okay. Candace versus candidate structure versus structure. Let me tell you something. APM as a party I personally I belong to APC family. But I can tell you I have the you know the details 80% 95% details about APM. APM as a party runs two function. Dantal function, Bana function. Shak and Bal Muhammad only carried along with Dant faction.

[00:33:05]The Bangan faction were left out.

[00:33:09]APM as a party as a case in court since 2020. The case in court affected me my candidacy in 2023 which they they never resolved till now. So for governor and going back to APM to contest is a rank network.

[00:33:27]That's the fact.

[00:33:28]>> All right.

[00:33:29]>> They already failed already. That's for me.

[00:33:31]>> Well, as they say, time shall tell. We want to thank you today.

[00:33:36]>> Definitely um start and stakeholder and media practitioner. Thank you for your time.

[00:33:43]>> You're welcome.

[00:33:44]>> All right. we >> draw the cutings on your state and move over to uh River State where all is yet but settled you know in your state uh incumbent governor of river state similar has thrown in the trial he has withdrawn his aspiration from being elected governor and of course we understand Mr. Chinder as a match the candidate of the APC. What will he be to be or not to be? That'll be after.