 The flag bearer of the Labour Party, HP, PTAOB in February 2023 elections has put forward a proposal for a five-year single presidential turn-off for each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Its proposal comes in response to a recent press briefing by Artico, the candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, in the same election. Who suggested a constitutional amendment to establish a six-year single term for the president. In contrast, OBE disagreed with the six-year turn-off idea advocating for a five-year term with a 30-year rotation system. It believes that such an amendment to the constitution will result in a functional and productive framework for Nigeria, including the introduction of a single turn-off system. The generalist and public commentator is Adene Kounu. Adene, it's a pleasure to have you and plus politics. Thank you very much for having me, Bolo Dopa. It's a very calm evening where I am and I'm grateful to be here. Before we go into the nitty-gritty of our topic, I think it is just appropriate to ask you what is your general take of the last general elections, especially the presidential polls. Well, I like to say that the constitution has actually nailed the coffin and nobody can actually resurrect the dead because the coffin has nails in it and it's been entered. By implication, I'm talking about the very many divergent opinions that followed the presidential election. There's a verdict and everybody who is a proper and civilized political spokesperson should just accept what has been done. Of course, it doesn't mean going to sleep on the obvious lapses that we'll find in the election. Every exercise, every cycle gives us the opportunity to really examine how well we performed or not. And the last election, especially the presidential election, has opened us up to a vista of what many of us should begin to examine properly and also intervene so that we can have a better political cycle, a political system. And that's why the presidential election ultimately of the electorate. But at the same time, it also tells us that those who come to equity must do the same with clean hands. And now I'm talking about the judiciary. If we check the last eight years leading to the current administration, we'll find out that many persons within the judicial arm of this time leave us wondering and we met the issue. So I think that every institution are responsible for the eventual emergence of anybody who is a leader in this country must actually be, you know, ensure that it is stronger than each individual that occupies any office where you can describe as powerful. So that really will be how I want to open regarding what I see the last presidential poll to have been and the fact that there's a lot more work for us to do than we think we've ever done before. Okay, let's now try and wrestle with the suggestion of Mr. Peter will be his proffering the idea of a single five-year term, the presidential candidate of the PDP. Allaji Atiku also at earlier preferred the six-year single term. Not that these ideas are very original or very authentic to these two characters. It was well. Dr. Gulokibile Jonathan was the president that he once also suggested a single six-year term for the president of the Republic. What's your take on all these suggestions? Well, I'd like to say that those that have made these statements are those who have actually, you know, waded through the political waters of the country. And because they've done that, it's important to also listen. But I also have to say that with every sense of humility and in my own right as somebody who has spoken for presidential candidate in this country, I also think I'm a huge stakeholder in the political process. Now these suggestions are often made by those who have lost in an election because it appears as if their dreams are far from very aligned. But it is often not so much about amending the constitution for the person who aspires to eventually become the president to do a single term. As a fact, it enables many of the citizens of this country to see the constitution as theirs. So having just an amendment amongst many other issues which of course dwells on our political representation may not be actually satisfactory. Well, since that is the context of discussion, I think I'd like to choke on the candidate you've actually put up on my lips. Let's say this. A five-year term would guarantee that you have a 30-year cycle and it would have gone through the six geopolitical zones. But let's bear in mind here that except of course you're talking about the Hausa people, the Yoruba people, the Igbo people, the Ijo people. Maybe you want to talk about the Fulani people because that is the order. There's no tribe called Hausa Fulani, that's a problem. You've got the Hausa, you've got the Yoruba, you've got of course the Igbo. You have the Ijo. In terms of the numbers. Now if we look at this particular that we have according to the numbers that we have, it is very obvious therefore that it is to seek representation for anybody that a region of the country brings forward. Now let's look at a five-year single term such as we have had it. So now you have a president mama who is a Fulani represented in the north west of the country. The powers come south-west of the country. After that, what makes us think for an Anand Brahma would agree that somebody from Igbo or somebody from Eboni who perhaps is seen as the most qualified to participate or to be flagged there. I'm simply saying that anything that would enable equal strength across the respective geopolitical zones and that would not make each tribe to feel left out, despite the number, it is what it is. And that is what I want to run to Switzerland. In Switzerland, let me even say this because we care to listen. That it will be an adequate background. Really, we didn't tell people. They went to Switzerland to actively tell us what indeed is being practiced in Switzerland. In Switzerland, we've got five major languages plus one. And this particular language, Switzerland is the country that is best at six million because Germany is the country with the highest population in Western Europe, followed by England. So Switzerland is between, let me say, four to fifteen million people, my population and population for that country is right. So what Switzerland does is, the people who are German speakers in Switzerland, first of all, will bring up a person. The people who are, of course, maybe, for instance, I'm talking about those who speak Italian, those who speak maybe Swedish. That is actually, then, some minority groups and that is possible because Switzerland doesn't have the complexity of the numerous number of ethnics that we have in this country and that has enabled it to be able to practice that. Then again, Switzerland understands as a country that institutions are stronger than individuals. But in this part of the world, individuals are stronger than institutions and that is why courts will give verdicts. A president will not follow the verdict to court and the president wants the citizens to obey the laws of the land whereas the president is the chief of the laws of the land. For example, it was a classic example in annoying disobedience to court injunctions that can never be exemplified for any leader. So when you have that kind of individuals and you are proposing, for instance, a habeas single tenor, it is dangerous because individuals in this political entity have not learnt to actually be people that can listen to the dictates of the grown-up of the country that is undoubtedly superior to everybody in the land. So I need to make that clear as part of the conversation. I think it is possible that the same six years single tenor has been a perennial participant in the nation's quest to assume office as the president of this country. I was thinking that before one of his quest to actually become the candidate of a political party, you would have suggested a six years single tenor. You cannot begin to prove first solution and do certain political quantifications after election thousand favor because I don't think that it is politically exemplary of these people. A future of himself has set in the result of the court of the people who perhaps he has done all of his suggestions. But let's get very practical here. It is almost obvious. I cannot hear you please. I can't hear you. You cannot hear me. Should we go for a short break and see if you can get... I cannot hear you please. You can't hear me? I can't. Okay. We go on a short break now and when we are back, we take it down from where we stopped. Welcome back. We really want to apologize for the technical glitch. It does happen in the best of circumstances. I was just about asking you that the idea of rotational precedency was actually also deliberated extensively upon by the last national confab and they made recommendations to that effect. Indeed, you were earlier alluded to the collegiate precedency in Switzerland. They indeed also told them line. It is looking like and I'm talking now as a Nigerian who believes in inclusivity. It is looking like if you are from the southeast temperate of Nigeria or if you are from the minorities of the North Central, you may be so disillusioned with the present system because it will be pretty difficult if not utterly or totally impossible for a south easterner or somebody from the middle belt to emerge as the president of Nigeria except it is rotated on a geopolitical zone basis. What would you say to that? Well, as I said before, some of these suggestions that are coming from the leaders of these parties who have lost in the elections are suggestions that a few could incorporate that actually emanated from other climes. You have to say that the people of a country are the main reasons why the laws function because they've come to terms with the fact that if the country functions well, everything will work. In the first place, let's make it clear that this country is actually very fraudulent with regard to how the geopolitical zones are actually carved out. Now, you have to tell me first what Quora State is doing in the North Central. You have to also tell me how they have to create seven states for the north western part of this country and the south eastern part of this country actually has just five states. The aspect of geopolitical regions is also something that can be contacted because lots of people have not actually done what they should do right. Bokunu, you will agree that it increases the odds in favour of some individuals, however maybe because they are well credentialed or because they are well resourced, it increases the odds for some individuals in those geopolitical zones to at least also be able to become the president. Okay. While we will say that that will likely be true, but who are the money buyers in this region? According to documented research facts or politics in this country, the north western part of this country has in the main account set for who becomes the president regardless of the people that are in the north eastern part of this country. Show me a man from the north eastern part of this country that has become president for instance in the past 20, 23 years and I say indeed the systems work. Let's see this. Okay. We need to conclude. We need to conclude. In wrapping up, are you saying the idea is the sort of inanity or a kind of political outcome that is not worth the detraction that some people think it deserves? Well, I think that it could solve a problem, but it is not the first thing that should be addressed. The inequality among the regions with regard to number of states in the geopolitical zone must be addressed. So, if north west has seven states, which gives it advantage of numbers, all the regions should also actually have that equal number of states before we talk about a balance. Okay. What is suggested? Okay. We are going totally to another subject for another day. It would be lovely to have you on the equity of state distribution in the geopolitical zones. Always intellectually engaging, always interesting to match up with you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. I appreciate the privilege. Today's throwback, Nigeria, a nation in darkness after more than 115 years of electric power generation. Fourth to decision or the full colonization of Lagos on 6 August 1861 under the threat of force by Commander Bedingfield of HMS Prometheus, who was accompanied by the acting British consul William McCrosk, the red bearded Scottish man that the gossians of your named Apobon area equal local abbreviation of the phrase ʻʻOʻNibwa Apobonabon after a settlement occurred as around today's Marina, known then as Okokomayko. Hence Marina was the first Okoko, where the Flagstaff House, Lagos Government House, the General Hospital, which started as a medical facility exclusively for Europeans until some of the founding members of the island club physically indeed, for how many people tested under Comeron in the early 1930s. To CMS, where the Anglican Cathedral and the Bishop's Lodge are located, the streets of the settlement were lit in the evening with oil ford lanterns to deter boglars. However, electric power generation in Nigeria began in 1896 and was used to replace the lanterns used for street lighting. In 1929, the Nigeria Electric Supply Company, NESCO, was established. In 1951, the Electric Corporation of Nigeria, ECN, started to really come into being through a federal ordinance as colonial legislations were called in pre-independent Nigeria to take over the assets of NESCO. In 1962, NDA, Nigeria Dam's Authority, which controlled the dams around Chiroro and River Niger, was established through an act of the National Assembly to develop the hydro power potentials in Nigeria. In 1972, the ECN and NDA were marched to form the infamous and now-deformed NEPA, National Electric Power Authority. I never said, never expect power, you know. Which later evolved to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PNCN, as a holding company which gave birth to the aberrationally privatized electricity discourse, distribution companies, that are inefficient, monopoly, supposedly distributing doctors across the geopolitical regions and some major cities like Lagos, Abudia, Ibadon, Akanu, etc. In conclusion, as you would see when we write on the on and off 100 years plus history of light rail mass transit in Lagos, you will see that we as a people either through the inevitable failure of visionless leadership or other culturalized mevolent factors that perfected the art of retrogression except in Atlantis and no life-guaranteed population explosion. Nigeria adds the equivalent of the population of Norway 5 million every year. And that's it on the show tonight. I am Bola Oba.