 There's the breakfast and plus CBA Africa. Thanks for staying with us this morning. Let's head straight to a second conversation where that's a plan a proposed plan to have Drug tests now and as the ruling or progressive Party APC sets to hold its presidential parameters on the 30th of May through the 31st 2022 the chairman and the chief executive of the national drug law and fosterment agency Brigadier General Buber Maurer has returned the letter to the chairman of all progressive Congress of the APC Senator Abdullahi a demo requesting that the officials of the NDLE a be given access to conduct drugs Integrity test for politicians seeking political office in the country the drug test will be carried out in all the political parties prior to their primaries now and according to the NDLE a the drug test is Necessary to ensure that politicians vested with importance national office Do not use budgetary allocation to go to buy cocaine and all the drugs instead of providing needed services for the masses While some quarters say that the proposal might be due to previous charges of drug use among Politicians others are saying it might just have a political undertow now in the early 90s The former governor of Lagos state Bola Akma to move What's the rest that in charge with trafficking of heroin and other hard drugs? This is according to the reports that's been made available that what that happened in the United States We have Liana Ayago who is a legal practitioner. He joins the conversation this morning. It's good to have you join us All right, so let's get straight to it I mean, what do you make of this development drug tests for politicians just prior to via pre-armories When you say counter test what do you mean by counter test? I'll come back to that. Oh, that's a character test. No. No, I'll come back to that When you say that there should be drug tests, you know, as a lawyer, I want to look at the legal provision if any that provides for Such an intention because I really come through the electoral act and the Nigerian constitution They don't play provision that say that as students for political offices work on the goal drug test But you can also read into the meaning of qualifications For someone for an office in Nigeria or Somebody who can be removed from office now if you look at session one it is 1889 of the constitution As model It's something from office if It's mentally unstable if you can't seek if you can no longer perform the duty of the office But then it's only a content cut of law went through the medical Angle that can satisfy somebody to be a fit from office So that is one area that you can be that okay if you are a drug addict You are you are no longer mentally fit to hold an office. You can move from office But you know we are going to move classy. So if what we are Saying as a country to get our electoral system to value our electoral system that we're introducing these doctors Who don't find but the timing is a case now How do you satisfy someone to be a drug addict? You want to take him through the The medical test and all that Then the person who also challenges the possibilities of each other medical test I was not conducted in the facility that is So I think that the timing at this moment looking at different areas already here next one The political primaries will be conducted. It may be wrong, but the intention is well intended but beyond that We can okay. Let me come back to what I mean by character test, you know, the the concession we have We operate is a person that put up some of the gates office. I'm talking about the Immunity close down for the executive and it behaves in a in such a way that Any reason woman will question that is this man actually or this man or woman actually Doesn't have a character deficiency You cannot question that because the person has immunity You know, so now that's why I said the character test will come to play It's in the moral angle that because there's no thought that said Actually a bad character of the governor in the president of the vice-president can lead to his room But because the immunity also it's a changing time. So the drug test Assistant I mean not be walking because of the time frame. I'm so want to get a clear court time frame because So do we do into it what you call them political vendetta and all that? So what we have a clear framework for it to work? I'm afraid as a stanza is very difficult for any aspirant to be disqualified based on the fact that Maybe has failed drug tests because that that failure will be challenging cost Okay, fine I understand the fact that you've talked about time in maybe if we can't do it for this particular dispensation or this Primary maybe in future we should consider that but haven't said that you talk you brought about the issue of morality versus Legality yet again if the constitution tells us that you can only remove someone if I He's mentally unstable if you look at it in another way Why not do this test, you know to be certain that this person actually is fit So you don't actually start going through the rigors of the court afterwards I That's why I said for us to achieve this intention This is very not a good intention because I'm sure if I'm a colleague drug addicts To find sensitive public offices and political offices and then of course remember that it's not just for Politicians Political officials that issue before all strike down public service because if you look at The situation we find ourselves is actually very difficult for you to have a clear framework now How do you satisfy someone to be a drug addict? They must be medical examination. They must be history of check and balances. You know that even in sports cycle some athletes have failed doping tests not necessarily because They are taking some drugs but on work. We're arguing that these drugs they took was for medical reasons Which has constituted a violation and they have sometimes they have been punished unnecessarily So that's why I said so that we won't want to lock the system And elise all manner of acquisition. Let us have a clear template I expected the respectable DJ of NDLE to come out with a framework. Now the drug test What duration? What is it that once a medical test is conducted and you say that okay, it's a drug test That the final Situation or the person can challenge such Drug tests for a higher test of confirmatory tests and all that So because if you don't do one confirmation one test and the person face and say that's it You are disqualified the person will have the right to have a second confirmation Now the situation is that let us have a clear framework It is not a whole intention But as I tell you I think the timing may not go away because the problem is I hear already So how you will do that in such a short span and then we can make it legal if it is this intention of Nigerians to be paired into the electoral which is the pre-priscial legislation opening elections in Nigeria So I made our concern our electoral to include drug tests and all that so if we do that it become very legal otherwise I can tell you there'll be all Coming out from this kind of Intention So so now that you know that we know that this this is not have any constitutional Backing or there's no legality to the drug tests that's been embarked on by the and D. L. E. A Do you think that the party leadership would actually agree to having this test conducted because That letter has been you know written already Do you see the party agreeing to it and what happens if this? Aspirant or this person's actually failed a drug test. Do you think that there will also be disqualifying? Yes, so the question is do you see the political party? Yes, please Go ahead Leona Leona we can hear you. Hello, Leona. We can hear you Because We seem to be having a bit of you know a network connection With our guests on the other side as soon as we're able to resolve all of that would definitely have Leona joined the conversation. Here's a legal practitioner. So but To you Justin now, what do you really make of all of this? I mean, it's a very sensitive issue We cannot also take out the fact that you have this agency They'll always say there's no smoke without fire And so the fact that you have this agency raising this concern it shows that you know There's been use of drugs amongst politicians. Yes, I agree with you I think for them to have come up with this particular stance There maybe are some indications that some political office holders, you know You know, they have failed, you know, somehow the test or maybe there are issues or Investigations going on about them and that to avert that in public it That's why the NDLEA boss is actually suggesting that but Leonard mentioned some couple of points that he talked about timing and all of that the the primaries for instance for the APC is about less than 30 days So I don't know how that would work Because if you asked all those who have unbought the nomination forms are to go and do integrity Drug integrity test that going back and forth before the elections and trying to bring all of that together It might just bring some sort of Confusion and that's why he's mentioned that moving ahead. I mean, it's going to be an interesting, you know pre-election year where you're going to see Litigations, you know, because a lot of persons will be dissatisfied with what's going on, but I really want them to go through the test because we need to know the If we're going to concede at this yes, yes, okay, you're saying that it would be interesting to see that Yes, I would love to see that play out really Now if we are very honest if there says sincerity of peppers with all of this because usually The argument would always be that we don't have any sincerity at the end of the day So if it's like it probably might just be an agenda, why have we not considered to We understand how all of this arguments could be why have we not concede that making this part of our constitution? I mean the constitutional review that's been going on You also have the fact that the electoral law has come We have been clamoring that the president just signed it It's been signed and it was not part of it because you know that all of this is going to be some kind of argument There's no legal backing to all of this and so the constitution the law actually guides the action and behavior of everyone And so this is also so the question will now be what's the essence? Are we very sincere is this do we really want this to happen? Or we're just going out and just chasing shadows or the argument I don't know if you've seen that some people say that this have and a political on the tune There might just be some persons who the system is trying to you know, reject or eject I mean, it's a conspiracy theories, but most times you find out those theories Yes, do we still have Leonard online or a Okay, okay, just wrap up your thoughts that we have we have we have a lack of Time to discuss this When we have intention ideas it should be the time should be of essence and of course we can always develop our electoral system By building legislation That provides for illegal framework so that it will not be under the whims and campuses of any person who does not like a particular person I'm also okay. Oh, you'll feel a drop test and that is it and then you will be disqualified so I Can't do the two hour electoral ads I made our electoral which is the principal escalation guiding elections kind of elections in Nigeria so that you know that oh For you to aspire for any political office and all that positions in the country. You must we must have to pass a drug Integrity test so the piece of legislation will really help so that this this principle or suggestion will not be abused by political opponents. That is my fear, but then it is a Of course, there's a medical council that can handle this matters If there's a proper time frame, and there's a lot packing All right. Thank you so much Leonard. This is much as we can take him from you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts All right. Thank you, Leonard for being part of the show Leonard is a member of the Chatham house London. It's good to have you join us And we look forward to sharing your thoughts as always and that's the size of our conversation if you missed out on any Part of it. It's all right to follow us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram and do subscribe to YouTube channel What plus TV Africa and plus TV Africa lifestyle. I am Mesa Boko and thanks for watching And I'm Justin after the events of being a part of the show return again tomorrow But just turn by for the news coming up top of the arc