 Welcome back. It's sort of breakfast and plus TV Africa. We have a very interesting conversation up next about one month to the official commencement of campaigns for Nigeria's presidential election and the National Assembly elections Swallows the governorship elections around the country the nation's electoral empire the independent national Electrical Commission has warned political parties and candidates against the use of Masqueraders and public facilities as well as religious centers for campaigns The Commission asked political parties to align strictly with the provisions of the electoral act and avoid sanctions as stipulated by the act and it fixed if you recall September 28th 2022 There's some weeks from now for the commencement of the campaigns for the presidential and national assembly elections while the elections will hold In just over a hundred and eight seventy days from now on February 25 2022 23 indeed in recent weeks. We've seen different presidential candidates appear at different fora But do some of their actions violate the electoral act? I'm glad to say joining us this morning to provide some analysis and discuss this all important subject is Dr. Suraj Muhammad. He's a lecturer in Political science at the Pyro University in Kano. Dr. Muhammad. Thank you very much for your time and good morning to you Yes, good morning indeed. All right. What are your thoughts on annex? Reminder to the political Politicians and the candidates ahead of the 20 23 elections in your opinion Do what some of them have done does it constitute a A violation of the electoral act in terms of campaigning Yes, good morning everybody. Good morning and durians you see What I next did I read I think it was Last year in August 2021 Particularly during re-election that took place in Kaduna when the the the chairman as well as the National Commissioner Ina Bota education Who was also the chairman committee? Mr. Festus Okoe that's you know drew the attention of the you know politicians to desist from You know campaigning in religious places as well as other public flows places specifically, you know the section of the electoral act particularly section I think a 92 of the Electoral act has categorically, you know, very clear that Religious places and other public places should not be used, you know for political campaign And this is due to the fact that You know considering the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria Some politicians usually hide under religious inclinations, you know regional issues And make a campaign and that seriously sometimes, you know ignite You know crisis in the country it lead to a division a serious Political, you know, conflict but before the elections during election as well as after the the election and I think even a recent example Was the the the the religious salmon, Jumat Freya salmon conducted by one Imam at the Abuja when he kind of Made some serious statement about the government and of course the committee of that mocks consider that as a kind of Illegal and hence lead to his suspension and they are and thereafter He was also sucked by a name check. I think Nooroo if I could remember so even during the classical period in the medieval time Religious places actually we are used or served as an instrument where governmental issues, you know Are supposed to be discussed for example the mobilization of people since the addition of people and then Dialogue where people will be, you know, gather Discuss issues, you know pertaining, you know affecting their societies both politically socially culturally economically, but not to be used as a kind of Campaign ground where clearly political parties will be quoted names of candidate will be quoted if that is applied Actually, they will not yield a positive you know result particularly in societies like Nigeria and Can you hear me, please loud and clear doctor doctor. Yes, we can hear you Yes, so if you look at even the the history the history of African societies or Nigeria in particular you realize that yes even before the coming of European societies into Nigeria of course there are such a structure in place and because of its importance Even when the European societies came to Nigeria, they try and maintain such structure and use it for you know to continue or to perpetuate there are a kind of Colonial, you know ambition without necessarily destroying such Structures if you take for example, the northern Nigeria. We are mostly the house of plan is we are found there. We are opposed traditional Institutions that are considered as religious if you go to also the Western society the Yoruba the evils They all have similar, you know traditional Structure, which up to the day they are functioning You understand so actually these are places of worship This are places where people are supposed to be called to order These are places where people are supposed to be sent studies These are places where people they are supposed to be mobilized to know their rights to know what's supposed to be you know Then particularly in an election period like this is no matter of identifying Specifically who to vote which political party to vote rather It's a place where the attention of the general public should be called With the regard to the relevance of the election itself how this election should be conducted if you look at some churches in Nigeria Even of present they a kind of adopt a kind of a strategy whereby Worshippers are not allow access to you know to the to the premises of the church without you know showing There are there are there are permanent water cut with them that shows commitment that shows seriousness that shows, you know You know the idea of Sanctisation that people should wake up people should resist with there are you know They have their permanent water cut so that could be served as a political weapon of electing the right candidate of electing the Kind of a capable Candidate who will represent them at various level either local state or federal But they are not calling clearly clearly clearly political party or name of candidate So actually what I like did was right of Coming up with this electoral, you know act of that will ensure people are not allow, you know to use public Places religious places You know Yeah, just to understand you are you saying that those who are making political statements Or talking about the 22 and three elections asking for Permanent water cards as evidence before being allowed into places of worship that these Valuations of the electoral act as outlined by INEC even in this recent statement by Festus or Coye I saying these people who are not candidates Maybe violating their lecture like is that what you said or you're saying that what they're doing is okay Just so we understand where you're coming from Of course to me to me what they what did this church is are doing is though It's okay There's not wrong because they do not come out and you know told there are followers This is the person to vote. This is the political party to vote Rather, they are trying to mobilize them. They are trying to educate them that look this is your right this This is your I can you are you are legitimate right to vote for a candidate of what you are choice So therefore without this permanent voter card You cannot be able to elect the candidate considering the situation this country is or If it is everywhere people are bitterly complaining about the serious situation, you know, the country is in so therefore Why is one or let me say the leadership of various religious institution are seeing that yes people have a kind of Have the right to vote for a candidate of their choice and that could not be possible without, you know Having without possessing the permanent voter card and therefore they have been you know always been a kind of Reminded to make sure they obtain there are permanent voter card but where the problem lies sometimes is for the religious leaders to a kind of Take one side taking one side that is where the problem is What I mean by taken side is clearly Identifying a particular political party clearly identifying a particular Candidate that is why from the background I told you Considering the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria if religious institution I've been used as an avenue as an instrument of campaign Actually, it will not yield Oppositive result because remember Institution just like you the media that your work is not only to broadcast But rather to some size to mobilize people so therefore this is also part and parcel of the Responsibility of every religious institution Every religious leader to make sure that people have been mobilized. I've been some stars people have been called to do the writing So there's nothing wrong in that after all You are in a political dispensation. You can the law has Given you that right that liberty to voice out your opinion to speak your mind Provided that that your opinion could not be denied any Yes, I'd like to ask you. Do you think that? Political parties have already started campaigning before time No, actually if you look at the situation on ground one can say yes and one can say no because These people right now and they have started making some gathering Given out starting items to people in the name of a kind of incentives in the names of Constituency, you know project or whatever they call it and most of this Gathering that the political parties used to either at their award level at their local level of constituency level still level You would generally sometimes usually age them in you know in in making the campaign even without, you know, they did Time because usually, you know broadcast what they have for distributes You know at the various Level Yes Can you hear me how? Yes, if you look at for example Even I think here yesterday here in canoe. I Observed how some political parties we are, you know moving on the street when I asked what happened I was told that it was one particular person that they come from another party to another Party, but clearly if you see the vehicles that they are moving in convoy with and then the Moving bands the sound that are going on the kind of songs that are going on that clearly It's a campaign indirectly no doubt about that So but I like hats are specified the time for this tight start, you know Political Yeah, dr. Sarajman sorry to interject I want to bring some practical examples to you you've talked about convoy procession So let's start with them The the the the one million much for Peter will be that has been holding in different parts of the country We can take one case study And put her cut over the weekend One hell it's not a poor I don't know if you saw the pictures or the videos from the one million much Mercedes is laughing here. She's blushing and Does that constitute a campaign, you know waving the label party flags, you know, and they had Of course, of course it constitute a campaign You see campaign a political party does not necessarily means even seen people on the road Karin Plugged for in Karin the identity Karen wherein there are pick up where in their t-shirt even that there are radio programs that usually how Politicians sells there are there are there are candidates sells that are ideas To to to the electorate. It is also a campaign and there by day you must see here The some candidate either incumbent either those who are contestant for the first time they are making Some kind of of either announcement either they are making some kind of but they have assisted certain group of people They have did these they have done that But dr. Suraj there could be an argument made for for this for instance, I can see video Scenes from the Isaac Borupak there in Port Hackett It could be said that the candidate is not there it could be Peter Peter be your Bola Mettinabu or Robbie Musa Kwan-Kwassu or Tika Boakar or Kachikudu Maybe it could be said that they are not there they didn't go climb the stage and say vote for me in fact when Tinnabu went to Abeokuta and pay the homage went to visit President of Lucia go Barsangio at the Lucia go Barsangio Presidential Library He proceeded to go to the stadium. There was a crowd waiting for him by I was I was put together by a gentleman He referred to as a lady and now we are calling me a Lee of Ogun state and the governor will say it was a crowd Yes, but when he climbed the stage, what Tinnabu said was I came to greet you I came to say I'm here. I just came to greet you. And so he said I agree to you You know campaigns have not started yet. So I'm just greeting you. He so That's one the first point I was I'm question of is the candidates when they are not there like, you know This one million much will be will be wasn't there He didn't climb the stage to say anything. That's some more number two in fora where the candidates are around if they don't say vote for me For instance now, maybe I should what you are in in Ogun state There was a crowd of the stadium the waving flags APC flags everywhere, but he didn't say vote for me He just said I came to greet you It shall be well with Nigeria full stop. Is that a campaign? Of course, no doubt. It is a campaign. It is a campaign. You see even the gathering They are wearing an identity that clearly shows this is a particular political party This is a particular supporters of particular candidates So it is it is also a campaign. I told you campaign does not necessarily means even this gathering Does not necessarily be in this gathering But the fact that one million people, you know much on the street wearing pick up t-shirt carrying Pusters plug and whatever of course it is campaign because what is a campaign a campaign is a process whereby party supporters or candidate supporters are going round or holding a Kind of posters or any identity of their a candidate in order to showcase them in order to a kind of Sell the candidate to the electorate. So this is a campaign but not the campaign that people will climb a ladder people will climb a drum and Hold a kind of allowed speaker and begin to call names. I am so so so so person contestant for the social Position, I'm there for calling you to vote for me I'm there for calling you to vote for my party Okay, guys, I'm finally finally Finally, please because of time at last case in point the NBA Arnold General Conference at a technical session and about three Presidential candidates were there and Did they come sorry come again? I said finally the Nigeria bar Association had its Arnold General Conference just over the past week and about three Presidential candidates were there the any of them campaign. Yes from the statements. It was the any of them campaign No, I actually let me say I didn't listen to that Comprehensive that gathering but the fact that NPA, you know either invited those candidates does not does not necessarily mean they want to campaign for them And you you call them three of them at one one time So inviting you cannot invite three people at once In the presence of every one of them and then you call that Like a kind of campaign it could be an interaction whereby the since that they are expert in law Probably they wanted to guide them and show them what they're supposed to do within the confine of the rules Wouldn't the confine of the law because had it been I watched I could have deduct something and then you know Said my own opinion, but my understanding probably if NPA invited some candidate not only one three of them at once so that could not be term as You know a kind of making campaign rather probably they could be trying to show them that this is what the law says Because we're out of time thank you so much I mean we hope that we have some other time to talk about this But really if the electoral act is not stipulated these because you know the Argument or the warning is that political Politicians should not be engaged in politics and this has not been you know made Somehow as an issue, you know in the law I don't think that it might be an issue because the law has not said You know people can now go out and true power your support and say hey I Lecture political science and he says it's campaign No, no, I talked we talked to the understand But you know in this part of the climb what we talk about because what the law has I want a little man much. Oh Well, not necessarily. We have to go now. Thank you so much for being part of the show. Thank you. Dr. Sriraj Mohamed. Yes, we'll be right back Thank you for the day of for joining you I've been replaced at you know layers. We appreciate your time sir. Thank you so much Okay, yeah, I wish we had more time to talk about this But we need to go we take a break down when we return to keep time to look at our second conversation Please stay with us