 Whilst you're on the breakfast in Plastivia Africa, let's head straight to our first conversation right here. The running mate for the People's Democratic Party Governorship Elections. Now the Lagos State Governorship Candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP Ola Gide Adederon, also known as Jandor, has announced the popular actress Funke Akindeli as his running mate. This development is coming days after the collapse of Funke Akindeli's marriage to JJC skills. In a sponsored ad, Jandor announced the choice of a popular Omoge to star according to him. Funke is from Ikorodu and Lagos' its senatorial district and has the overwhelming popularity to gain a vote. Akindeli also confirmed the nomination saying that she would work very hard for the party and for Lagos to have a breath of fresh air. We have Gide Johnson, a chief lecturer of Nigerian Institute of Journalism, joining the conversation this morning. It's good to have you join us, Gide Johnson. I'm Kofi. Kofi, good morning to you. And good morning to all of us all over the world. Okay, Gide, what do you make of the pairing of the People's Democratic Party? Now, we understand the fact that for every time you have any political party that exists, the purpose of a political party is that the win election and the grab power. Now, do you think that this pairing would enable the People's Democratic Party in Lagos state, you know, win the election? The party in its own estimation and based on its own calculation, as Donworth, they think would help them win the election on Ganan Boots 1. They've gone for a balanced ticket in the sense that they have a gender inclusive ticket. It's not a male-male ticket. It's a male-female ticket too. The candidates, both the candidate and the running mate, are both young and they have name recognition. They have face recognition. So, they have people that are popular. People that are popular appeal would translate to electorality. That's another matter. But if we check on the base of name recognition, disability, the running mate, as in, and the candidate himself, as in. So, to a larger extent, they must have done their calculation, thinking they want to work with a lot of women, voters, and then a lot of... If we check the move towards this election, there's a lot of enthusiasm among first-time voters, among the youth. So, if they are able to appeal to the youth population and the women population, then they have a massive voting bloc. That's if they are able to appeal to this. So, if these choices are accepted to this voting bloc in the population, then they are almost home and dry when it comes to winning the election. Julie Johnson, Lagos State PDP is moving from Jimmy Agbaje to Jando. We've known the antecedents, the history, the track record, the style, and the campaigns of Jimmy Agbaje over the past few years. Looking at where the party is today and the ticket it's presenting, Jando, popular man. Moved away from APC to PDP, Mitz Fanfe was installed by the hierarchy, the governance of the PDP in Nigeria, who came when he celebrated his handover. It was a standstill in Lagos. The man has a massive following, a grassroots movement called Lagos for Lagos. But looking at the pedigree of this ticket, is the PDP in Lagos, would you say, are they progressing in terms of their offering? And the quality of their offering on the ticket from the time of Jimmy Agbaje and what Jimmy Agbaje offered on his own ticket? Or is the PDP probably they're losing it in Lagos State? Look, and you have to hear my candid. Please, please, that's why I see all the time. PDP does not exist in Lagos. Majority of the PDP members in Lagos are PDP during the day and APC during the night. You can quote me on that. They are PDP in the morning. That's why PDP is almost dead in Lagos. They are PDP in the morning, during the daytime and in the nighttime, they become a PC member. I can begin to mention their names. So, for you to say, okay, you move. Even Jimmy Agbaje, whom you spoke about with respect to having a massive followership, is neither PDP nor APC always appears when the election. This is the first time that will not appear during the electoral cycle because it will always appear when the election is coming and will disappear after the election using media platforms to propagate and promote himself, playing the politics of rhetoric and not politics of policies. So, even the candidate of PDP that you are talking about presently, the candidate, both government candidate and running mate were apologists of APC before. They were apologizing to Lagos, where Lagos was part and parcel of APC for a very, very long time until after the APC party convention to elect party officials, and then they lost out. He moved over to PDP. Even Gagidele and members, and majority of Nigerian non-liberal members, are unapologetic members of APC. They are part and parcel of APC in 19, in 1915-2019. And you will see them parade themselves with the exception of some slight division between them now with some coming from Peter of the Antsons, and dozing, and dozing, and APC, APC, the presidential candidate. So, anybody who doesn't know PDP's position will see me say, because what you have in terms of system, what you have in terms of structure, what you have in terms of representation is an extension of the APC. Are you saying that what we are saying is just no pun intended because Funke is now on the ticket. It's just a script from Nollywood. I'm not saying that because Funke on her own has her own credibility, has her own personality, has her own ability. She's a Nigerian. But with Jando moving from APC, you said Jando moved from APC. Kindlele has been an apology to the party. Are they agent provocateurs of sort? You know, are they? I can't say that for you but I'm telling you about their history. And I'm asking you, as someone that observes the political reality, the political environment of Niger, what level of seriousness, what level of opposition, what level of alternative view, point of view, what view as PDP provided to Lagos politics, what is happening? What statement have they released? What programs have they come in? So there has been a systematic, and I'm telling you for what I know, for someone that observes the political reality of Lagos, for someone that is from Lagos and is interested in what's happening in Lagos, there is no PDP Lagos. There is a systematic infiltration of that party and there is a systematic destruction of that party every electoral cycle when people leaving either APC, AC, ACN coming to PDP to weaken the party internally. That's the truth. So what we are interested in, you see, it does the continuation of what has persisted in Lagos opposition party with the ruling party infiltrating and weakening the party from within. Some people have actually... That's nothing to do with Funke Akindile. She has her own opinion, she has her own followership, she has her own packages too. Some people have also mentioned that... Just like everybody. Funke Akindile is a fan of the APC. I mean as a matter of fact, you want to talk about supporting the Jagaban and so it's possible that at the end of the day she will cast a vote. That's on a lighter note. I mean I don't understand how you are the PDP and then you eventually cast your vote for the APC as it is. That's what some people are saying. But let's also look at the spread. We understand what's playing out. Although some people think that this should not be a yardstick, especially at a time like this. But we cannot ignore that fact. It's our current reality. Earlier we embraced it, the better for us as a people. The issue of geographical location. And so you want to talk about tribe... Some people say tribe or region. But in this case now you look at it. Jandor is of the Lagos West and you have Funke who is also of the Lagos East. Do you think that this spread or this classification, with the fact that we're also looking at a Muslim ticket would also be a plus for the PDP? We understand the point that you have raised that regards the presence of the PDP in Lagos State prior to this time. Do you also think that in checking the boxes you look at religion which is big, we can't ignore that as much as we say that it's not a thing we should look beyond that. It's a ticket that you have, a Muslim Christian ticket. And on the other hand you also have the Lagos West and the Lagos East. This factors together. Do you think that that's going to be a plus despite the fact that you are saying that the PDP do not have a presence? Lagos is a cosmopolitan state. You record that in 1979-1983 we had a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Nobody really cared about that. At the point in time when the governor was a Muslim the speaker of Lagos for more than 16, for almost 20 years have been Muslim. Nobody pays attention to that, nobody cares about that. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state and the issue which you are trying to talk about in terms of balancing. Lagos is a climate for people in the Paraguay division. When I talk about Paraguay, Lagos is to fight division. Even if you look at it from the territorial industry there are also divisions. There is a climate for people in the Paraguay division that they need to have the governor from the Paraguay division. That's where Jando is from, from the job or job axis of Lagos. However, there are internal politics that go about even for him to get the traditional laws from that area to attend his school. Some of them have been trying to dethrone if they attend his school. That's how deep this politics is and that's how deep it has become. She is from Ecuador where that balances the ticket but in Lagos it's a cosmopolitan. People don't truly, on the most serious level people don't really pay attention to all of those factors in terms of religion but in terms of your capability and your capacity people pay attention to that. But don't you think that she has a capacity? You have mentioned something now and I think we should look at that. You've talked about capacity now. If you look at capacity, it's just successful. I really don't know why the... Yes of course. The emphasis has been on her but she's been successful as a business person. She's also a legal practitioner as well. She's a lawyer. Don't you think that all of this boosts the positivity when you talk about capacity? She has all the positive qualities. She's successful. She's built a career. We knew her antecedents in where she was. She was coming from where she is now. So she has every right but you know people have trivialized the nomination. I've seen comments on various platforms where people have trivialized the comments. Because you are involved in the popular culture because you are an entertainment industry you also make a gesture. In our choices, if someone could make money from gesturing then that person has got a good deal of sense because it is not easy for a person to make another person to laugh. Considering the economic hardship that I just have gone through over the years so if she's successful in doing that then she's successful in easing the pain of the people. So she's given the opportunity she has the capacity to ease your pain through proper policies. So that's the perspective with which you can look at that because I've seen a lot of comments. People have derided derided a big one. Is she because she's a woman or is she because she's into popular culture? People should not forget that Donald Trump was into popular culture and real estate. Ronald Reagan became the president of the United States of America. He's been an actor and Joshua Snigga became the governor of California. He's been an actor. So if someone is an actress does that mean that that person does not have anything upstairs? That's what I don't like. But the argument she did answer. I understand that you have raised but I don't know if you've also looked at it this is which is very popular. I mean it's a popular comment. People have talked about the fact that her marriage has crashed or her field marriage and the comment is that you can't even fix your home. What business you have trying to sort out Ligos as a state. Go fix your home and forget about all of this. First of all I'd like to ask you does the constitution in itself stipulates does it talk about all of these issues whether or not you have your home together the issue of morality at this point in time and capacity to function? It's an age long discrimination against women. It's an age long. When the woman was caught in adultery she was brought to Jesus she was brought to Jesus and the men brought her and the man that she was caught with was let go. When issue of marital issues that has to do with this it is the women that is always pointed out are all the men running for offices and they do not have field marriages who does not have issues in his own marriage? We all have issues in our life so why should our own be how many of them that is running for office now is presently married to his first wife? How many? We should stop this discrimination against women. I don't buy it to it when issues has to do with field marriages of what have been. She does an age you know that about that but she doesn't use that as campaign material. Everyone has issues and that's their personal problem they can solve the problem but don't make that issue for women. Everybody is now is the president the present president the present president of Nigeria at the issue in his first marriage the former president of the Lucian Embassy don't admit the issues with women they don't stop him from becoming the president. Interesting. Thank you. You are so passionate about the agility Johnson we can feel it from here. Looking at the it's not fair to women It's not fair to women. Looking at the trend I mean Jando is boring or falling from where a young man by the name Tonte Ibrahim who is the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress I hope we've not forgotten them they are still there where he left off. Now Tonte Ibrahim picked another no load actress Tonto Dike to be his running mate and he garnered a lot of attention media buzz and support and all that I mean Tonto Dike has been appearing on television programs talking politics and maybe Jando had his eye on that Tonte Ibrahim is a young man Jando is a young man with this trend it goes against the grain of the selection of running mates or candidates in politics not just in Nigeria but around the world I mean where we can talk about what happened in the United States Ronald Reagan becoming president we can talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger a Hollywood actor becoming governor of California even Kate Eastwood dabbling into politics and trying to be governor you know Donald Trump was a reality show host but with Nigeria we've not really seen the movie industry and the actors and actresses, musicians, entertainers really they'll transit properly to become proper politicians who engage on national issues you know over and over and over again are the current generation are they losing it? I'm talking about I'm talking about I'm talking about Desmond is one person I'm throwing the ball to your court now and are the younger generation are they getting it or are they losing it? you see what will happen in 2023 will just be the foundation for the takeover of the Nigeria political landscape by the youths by the Nigerian people from the established political order that's what will happen you see there is a real awakening and there is consciousness of the fact that power belongs to the people and when people become conscious when people become conscious of their rights it retains the establishment you can see that the establishment are running a tax delta as far as I'm concerned this is a welcome development in the sense that politics is no longer the exclusive right of those that feel they feel the feudalistic feel but it is now the consciousness and the interest of the majority of Nigeria so it's getting better look what has Funke Akidelis nomination done for you have the conversation concerning it you know how many people are watching it social media platform you know how many TV stations even the opposition are talking about it that is the visibility that is the conversation that is getting the top of the mind and awareness if you ask anybody on the street who is running mate if you prove a name recognition I'm saying this for a part between the APC the APC running mate and the PDP running mate even though the APC running mate is a state in depth governor I'll tell you for a fact if you do the survey you go on the street I'm telling people we have a name recognition of Funke Akidelis Gideon Johnson we have to go now thank you so much Gideon Johnson thank you I wish we can have this conversation extended but we're being prompted to go for the sake of time and we have all the guests who's waiting Gideon Johnson for being part of the show thank you interesting one name recognition name recognition is not enough you have to also show capacity to deliver when you're VP you're president in waiting when you're deputy governor if Jando exits the scene for one week two weeks an actress like Funke on actor like Funke or maybe we have Tonto Diki do they have the capacity to run their respective states why not because you know time would definitely tell because I think that these things don't just happen but we need to move away is it about name recognition popularity to ride on that popularity it's not that capacity capacity what is your truck record when you get into a space as a person before the law makers even get into the space I'm sure that there's some sort of training okay so will you vote for Funke Funke says I want to be governor of Lagos State or she has not said you understand that hey I want you to make Funke governor of Lagos State maybe Tinnable says he should be governor of Lagos State PC would you vote for her that's actually at this position right now where you're putting me on my point here is my point here is she has a right she doesn't say she wants to be governor for the fact that she's there we do not know if she's been picked by a person or not she was picked by Jando no so the truth is it has nothing to do with that I'm saying will you vote for Funke capacity is not inherited for all of these persons I have a simple question for those who have become governor and president inherited we need to understand that this is not inherited they were not better with this capacity and that's not it but we need to take a break now that's because we need to head for a second conversation thank you so much for being part of the breakfast we'll be right back stay with us