 We're still on the breakfast and plus CV Africa many thanks for joining us and also staying with us The all-progressive Congress APC candidate, Mr. Biordo Oyebanji last night emerged the winner of the AKT state governorship elections by a landslide Oyebanji beat his closest rival Mr. Shigun Oni of the Social Democratic Party SDP by at least 100,000 votes the People's Democratic Party PDP candidate Honourable BC Kola Wale came third the election was married by vote buying Which saw the economic and financial crimes Commission EFCC and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC arresting two people including a chieftain of the PDP in Ado AKT following alleged attempt to induce voters and Costs violence the election however with this high turnout of voters and heavy security persons as the electorate Trooped out to vote for their preferred candidate who will occupy the government house and pilot the affairs of a kitty state for another four years Now we're being joined by a guest Paul a Jimmy international affairs expert and analyst All the way from Abuja. It's good to have you join us this morning. Paul a Jimmy Let's get your overall thoughts on the elections the kitty state elections and of course with the candidate that emerged the kitty people decided and you have Beaudu Oyebanji Who is the governor elect? so I think It is not surprising that them The APC candidate one Probably what is that completely surprised is the margin of You know victory but at the same time it is an APC state and With a governor that is considered to be well-routed and so He delivered followed by SDP and then PDP but again, you see that each time you find Consolidation of this incremental improvements That is happening on the Electoral process For instance with the BVAC, you know making it now impossible or near impossible for people to read and then with the this is First the first election by the way under the new electoral act 2022 you know the dispute and controversy that Went before it was passed and it's still a walk in progress because there are still some issues around primaries and you know Statutory delegates or direct or indirect but you see that each time there seems to be a progress something happens and No, thanks to the politicians. You'll find now that it's the inducements Continuous vote buying was them, you know massive if you if you ask me Well, we'll find them EFCC Going in to arrest people fine, but of course you will expect some You know misbehavior Politicians trying to do themselves to win because for them politicians is about election and the next election and then winning They never talk about losing an election. They have somebody to blame for that But you see there was in the case of demand and supply The politicians are there in using voters Telling them if you give us your your vote for us or you give us your card We will give you money and that was what support what happened so the demand was there and then the Gullible voters decided to play along too much. So the internet is yet They told them Just go vote after casting your vote Slant your Ballot paper in a particular way to show who you have voted for Can you see politicians? How far they can go in there contravening laws and then when it's supposed to be that defeats What you call the secrecy of balance because you are supposed to just go in there otherwise Why do you need to stay in the in the cubicle to mark your or take your your your The box and then fold it and then go and put it in the in the box. But here They decided to they asked them don't Make it very visible that we know that you have voted for us so that after voting you can now come and collect money These are the politicians for you. They never say never they always a convincing rules But otherwise, I think the AKT should should and also have been an improvement on other elections because Beaver's is now working. I mean in 90 percent more than 90 percent of the places according to Yaga and all the other Observers, I think it worked and when it failed it was Fixed very easily. So we'll say kudos to I'm not in a way, but it's still early days because this is just one state and then the population is in much When you have Nationwide elections can this be replicated and how do you handle this issue of vote by it by politicians? It's not enough to also go to the When pulling day to arrest these people Parade them have there been the what we have in the past. They haven't been any high profile of, you know, major Apart from some I know confessions that were jailed some time ago There should be more convictions to serve as Deterrent it hasn't happened. I think that is where I am not sure the new electoral act has addressed that But I think or as time goes on that is the area they will address to make sure that there is no impunity When people rigged by whatever form any my practice should be heavily punished To stop and to serve as a deterrent that Unless until we get there or minimize in it There's not going to be credible election in them in Nigeria Unfortunately messy All right Let's talk about the number of registered voters. We're looking at 989,000 224 registered voters according to you know data being made available now Beaudoom. Oh, yeah, Banji won the election with 187,057 votes if you look at the number of vote cast 360,753 How do you have in a democratic in a democracy in a democratic Society and in a state less than 200 people Determining or deciding who becomes the governor. How do we explain this? What exactly is this situation if you look at the number of persons who registered and the number of vote cast We're not talking about valid votes now, but we're looking at all the votes discussed 989,224 juxtaposing that with 360,753 should we call this voter apathy So this is one area. It's not just in Nigeria Across the world where it is the fact that people the electorate the voters are losing confidence and trust on politicians in government that Trust gap that exists. That is why people sometimes they say well listen Even when we vote our vote does not come. So why do we bother and so on and so forth by not voting? They also Making a decision they are voting and that is why for instance I think from official reports the turnout is about 37 percent Which is an improvement on the 33 of the previous time It is still very low, you know, because It says a lot about integrity and them of an election if This type of low numbers are the ones that determine Who governs and the defeats of the purpose of the majority that we are talking about so people have Registered they have to make sure that they go and vote and so that their vote will count so but that is where I think some Organizations like the European Union. They are now supporting The process supporting INEC and supporting the political parties in a way to raise You know voter education is very critical to let Citizens understand that it is their civic responsibility It is their right to register not just to register but to also vote because by doing so they are taking Part in the decision-making of who governs them But if you left it on your own and say well, you are not going there You are also voting and then allowing it to those who most the politicians will even Capitalize on that and do what they have to do. So that is the EU You know support to Nigeria's Democratic governance that is now as they have it It's a stew of that program and I think one of the areas that has been should be tackled as it being tackled is voter education to raise awareness around political awareness not just Education, but also to let the people understand why they must register why they must vote and then I don't know who said it that Politics is too Much an important thing to be left with their politicians because they will mess it up They are only thinking about themselves their family and the next election and about winning They don't understand that there is a Next time they want it now and Turner now to win and win and win and win if you tell them Well, if they don't win, they have somebody to blame for instance those who are now in using voltage with Money if they fail, they will still have either the Electoral Empire to blame or they have one or two things They never blame themselves So I think Everybody all stakeholders the politicians the poly the political parties I neck is that the civil society the media Everybody has a role to play in raising awareness about the need to ratchet up the number of those who have registered and then who Votes during elections because that way you are leaving you leave no room now The room will be squeezed about the possibility of politicians going now to to manipulate because if you leave this high this gap of about You know 16 what 63% of the people who voted who registered not voting you see there is a possibility of somebody Manipulating with the figure, but the way you have a mass, you know, high turnout that tendency and that possibility is reduced. So Just sit at home The youths I'm glad that they are coming up to Wish you notice what has happened in the past couple of months coming out to go and register Although they are doing it late In Africa in Nigeria, it's always the last minute that's come people rush Even so, I think is an encouragement that they are now seeing that their voice must You know should be heard and how do you do that? Go into register in high numbers turning out a master votes and then stay in there to protect your votes You know make sure that if you anybody is trying to ease you you report them to the authorities Then the authorities will take it to the net level to prosecute those that have been arrested and jail them convict them And let them solve terms. That is the only way you end in punitive That will have you know, try to bring back the confidence the trust in the electoral process And then the consolidation of democracy Well, everyone is hoping that it's a good thing that you were seeing the movement of having PVC's and so if you've not gotten your PVC, it's very important that you get it that movement is still ongoing But does it also translate into going out to cast your vote? We have seen that in the 2023 elections where you have Almost a million persons being registered, but not even close to half a million Casting your votes very sad and deciding who becomes You know the governor of a state and in this population We see the videos of vote buying and vote buyers mostly young peasants who are Bragging and and and very happy to showcase all of that But you have raised very valid point about education Beyond the fact that we're asking that people You know be part of the electoral process that need to understand the dynamics of the process and the consequence that he holds for everyone, but let's also go To another issue away from voter apathy Another issue is the third force Now there's several conversation about the third force ahead of the 2023 January elections and a lot of peasants Political pundits have described the AKT elections including the Oshun elections, which is yet to come has very very important To our elections. It's like it's going to be a reflection Whatever happens now would just be you know a replica of what's going to happen in 2023 Another issue is that you have 16 candidates who are contesting for that particular position or there about if I'm not mistaken, but it feels like Everyone is looking beyond the 16th. So Nigerians have been complaining about having all the you know a certain party Maybe I should go ahead the APC and the PT PDP being very dominant and one would expect that Nigerians would have looked beyond You know, this dominant part is the binary options that we have to something different, but 16 and then you still have the same So do you see a possibility of a third force being that it wasn't reflected in the AKT elections? well It's probably too early Or that relates for the effect to happen in them or show, you know Which is exactly the election is on the 16th of July, but I can tell you that between now and And it's been going on. There is something a movement is taking place something is happening that people are also taking those who are political pundits Analysts are taking note of it that If you call it top first or whatever you call it There is the consciousness that things are not good in Nigeria This is not where Nigeria ought to be in terms of governance in terms of leadership in terms of management of diversity in terms of security in terms of economic growth in terms of poverty and unemployment in terms of the fact that Teachers that have been on strike for more than five months and students are roaming the streets in terms of the fact that The health system is You know underfunded and comatose which allows those who can afford it to be now they are now traveling abroad for what you call them Medical tourism in terms of them the fact that is becoming too difficult. I was reading Created by a professor in them from the University of Nigeria and sugar a lady She was saying that how she bought she's not buying diesel from the 40 Be a week 40,000 neither to run her car and her salary is about 400,000 neither if you use it that For one week what will be left for her to use and then to cover all your net is that is just a microcosm That gives you that's the metaphor of what Nigeria is going through that life has become too difficult Life has become there is poverty in the midst of plenty. That is not zero poor Nigeria is a country that has mismanaged the resources are the mismanaged But this cannot continue and then if the electorate now see that there is a window these two parties have been tried since 1999, you know both have had them, you know, I don't know how many years they've had If things have not improved perhaps they also looking somewhere So see whether there is a window of opportunity to try another if you call it 3544 or whatever first but the the bottom line is that things are not working in Nigeria It's as it should be Nigerians are suffering and then Nigerians are dying you will go from hunger and insecurity, you know Every now and then you hear about kidnappings you hear about killings in churches in mosque in markets Everywhere that is not the Nigerian that many people know Or you know, it's not the Nigerian that they used to be looking up to the youths and everybody they have a responsibility to say listen Enough is enough. Let us and how do you do that? You are not correcting any Violent change the only way you can bring a positive change about is through Election through the ballot box and if now people are waking up Well, seven months before the next election might be two months You know in the politics they say that is 24 hours is like a lifetime anything I hope Yes I mean, I'm sorry We have to move on. I'd like to share your thoughts on other issues because we have less less than two minutes On this picture Another issue is the issue of Voters inducement or vote buying this that's been reported and we actually saw videos that emerged Do you do you think that you know the court actually Have any concern with it, especially when inek. I mean, why should inek go ahead? That's the question Declaring a winner when there's an infraction with the election. We're looking at the electoral act now What do you make of this and on the second hand? Do you see all of this manifesting in 2023 elections? what it takes It's a collective responsibility the conduct and the process of you know a credible election The electoral empire what do you expect inek to do? You want inek to go and then stop people who The inek is to conduct and organize elections If there's an infraction, paula e jime, if there's an infraction should I go ahead and declare a winner when you know that the election has you know infraction That's the question Yes, this is where the law allows that to continue but remember that elections can also be nullified If the authorities the security those who are entitled to securing this vote They can now prove that because not by just Staying it you have to the process democracy allows a process Even if you got you arrested somebody you have to prove that he has committed a crime So you are deeply innocent until you approve their guilty So even when elections have been inek they are conducting and organizing that election It is left now for the parties and for the elect and the security people to do the needful and when they now see that the Violation of the vote buying is enough to nullify the vote you have seen where elections were held And then the results are nullified. It doesn't matter. Some people will have people will declare them Winners, but they can be said they can Because can turn that down But another thing is also what the integrity of the court. So you see everybody is a home gamut. It's not just One person is not inek. It's not just political parties. It's not the voter. Everybody must do their beats their parts For there to be credible election So I wouldn't say it is wrong to ask inek to stop an election because there was um, you know This is still an allegation Even when you see them when even when you catch a thief You still have to prosecute them and then prove them take them to court and the court is only personally Agency or institution that can you know prove Declares somebody guilty of an offense All right, uh, thank you so much for being part of the show. We have to let you go at this point I wish we had more time to continue this conversation Apologize me Thank you. Thank you for having me Thank you so much for being part of the breakfast this morning looking at the aftermath of the equity state governorship elections with the winner Bjorn do oh ye banshee Well, we definitely continue this conversation In another time, but that's the much we can take right now and here's a public affairs and international affairs analysts We appreciate your time when we return will be time for us to look at sickle cells as a disease stay with us You