 Northern Nigeria is plotting to retain PAS as a social political group. And the 2023 Nigerian elections will not be business as usual. This is according to INEC. The electoral empire has won electoral offenders against electoral malpractices. This is Plus Politics and I'm Kofi Bartens. You're welcome. We sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting. But we have a very interesting conversation and of course an interesting guest you'd like to listen to standing by to join us at this time. Well, at a time when Northern leaders are divided over the issue of a consensus, presidential candidates and leaders of certain social political groups in the country are Fenifere, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Pan-Dof, and the Middle Belt Forum, as well as some leaders of these groups. We have Pa Ayo Adibanjo, Chief Edwin Clark and Professor Beatrice Pogu. Now they have accused the northern part of Nigeria of plotting to abort the shifting of the Pa in the country as the presidency to the southern part of the country. Now these groups are southern groups and they decried the insincerity of what they call the insincerity of northern leaders over the principle of zoning. It was stressing that after eight years of Muhammad Buhari's presidency, nothing short of zoning the presidency to the southeastern part of the country will resolve the restiveness in the country. I'm glad to say that the spokesman or national publicist secretary of one of the groups that released that statement, that's a Pan-Niger Delta Forum, joins us tonight on Plus Projects. Mr. Ken Robinson, thank you very much for your time. Thank you so much for this opportunity and thank you to all of us and good evening Nigeria. Okay, it's quite remarkable and so it's a landmark that we have groups from prominent groups, the leading groups from the western part, the southwestern part of Nigeria, where you have predominantly the Yoruba community, the southeastern part of the country that was also represented at that meeting, the Niger Delta part of the country and the middle belt all coming together to say that Pa must go to the southeast. Now, this hasn't happened before now. What's the difference this time? We stand for justice, we stand for equity and we stand for fairness. Some of the problems we are facing in Nigeria obviously are due to the absence of these issues in the conduct of government and in the running of affairs of state. And after 24 years of democratic rule or civil rule, as some would like to call it, it's proper that we do what is right, that we shift base and perhaps leave some of the things that we've done before, the biases, the imbalances and all the unfairness that has been meted out through particularly the southeast and minorities, all of the Niger Delta people will be very unfairly treated. But politically, we are saying that let the southeast have a taste of the presidency of Nigeria at least this time around. Very interesting. I would like to add that our positions purely based on the need for equity and fairness and treating every part of Nigeria, giving the sense of belonging to every part of Nigeria. All right, so some of the political parties especially, the two leading parties have had discussions around zoning, for instance the People's Republic Party, set up a zoning committee led by the governor of Benres State, Samuel or Tom. You've had discussions over zoning in the all-progressives Congress and what we've been hearing before now is zoning between the north and the south. We've not heard the parties talk specifically about the southeast. It's always between the north and the south. Shouldn't we keep it at that at least for now? Even if zoning is not officially in the Nigerian constitution, but if it's an understanding, should we not talk about a wholesale north versus a wholesale south? We are a country and that's what we are and we think that it should be done rightly and our position I was saying is based on the need to promote fairness, equity and giving the sense of belonging to every part of Nigeria. We are the Nigerians that we have been very unfairly treated, but this time around we are saying let us give a chance to the southeast, let us give a chance to the egos and let us see what difference they can bring to the table. Nigeria as we speak today, some have said the country is broken, some have said the country is directionless. We have no direction, but we are a country and everyone needs to please to reposition this country and make us truly become a great country that we are. And so let the egos have the opportunity to be president of Nigeria. That's what we're saying. And our brothers and sisters in the northern part of the country have enjoyed that repulsion, a lot of the period of our 62 years where I don't know the military or democratic rule or civil rule. And in this present democratic dispensation, President Muhammad Bari will be concluding his statutory eight years in 2023 May 29. And so we are saying let Nigerians for once put down all other sentiments and promote fairness, equity and justice. All right. We've heard from the leader of this affinity group in recent times. Are you surprised about the position of this very, very prominent leader of the southeast or southwestern part of Nigeria, a prominent Yoruba leader, Paayo Adebanjo, regarding the zoning of the present, especially at a time when it seems some of the leading contenders like Bola Mettinbu and the incumbent vice president, Yemi or Shiba Joe are from the southwest. It's surprising to some. No, for some of us who have the privilege of working closely with Paayo Adebanjo in the last four years or so, we know who he is. He's the man of sterling character. He's a unique personality. And that's what he's demonstrating. The fact that he has raised himself and visited himself above ethnic parochial sentiments at his where, looking at the fact that personalities in the presence of Bola Mettinbu and a sitting vice president running Yoruba, and he has taken this very, very commendable position. But that is what it should be. And that's what we expect some other persons in some other parts of the country, particularly not in our stores to come out categorically to say that. We recall very, very, with gladness, in 2006, living to 2007 elections, when Obatinger was concluding his eight years as president. And there were moves in southern Nigeria by various governments and powerful persons in southern Nigeria to take over from, to succeed as president, Minister Obatinger. Prominent people like, like, Chief Edwin Clark at that time, supported at the next president. At that time, she also accomplished their civilization. And the president said she would go back to northern Nigeria. And they supported the emergence of Yaradua. And so we expect eminent and prominent and clerics in northern Nigeria to also speak out for the sake of unity, for the sake of cohesion and progress. And perhaps to doubt some of the disaffections and tensions that we experience in the country, of course, various parts of the country. Let us speak as a people, forget about where I come from first. It is doing the right thing at this time, at the right time. We commend the position taken by our father and leader, Paio Adebanjo. And, of course, don't forget also the position of the middle budge forum, led by Dr. Beatrice Rubu. And it's commendable that the middle budge forum could take this position, not minding that. They are actually also not an accident. Beatrice Rubu is from Borobu State. I just met him. Wow. Okay. Interesting. This greater Nigeria conference initiative of Anibut thing, called Unzuko Umuna, you all came together as groups from different parts of the country. And you said Salis must produce the next president of Nigeria. Mr. Ken Robinson, as far as Pandev is concerned, when you say Southeast, which states in Nigeria are you referring to? There are six geopolitical zones in the country. And Southeast is specific. There are emails outside of Southeast, that's not deniable. But what we're saying is Southeast. And it's left of emails to decide whether their brothers and sisters in other states within South of Nigeria would also be part of what we are talking about. Okay. So you're saying Southeast, but you're also saying that there are emails outside of the Southeast? No. What I said is that Southeast is explicit. There are six geopolitical zones in the country. And we're saying, let the presidency of Nigeria in 2023 come from Southeast. That's the position that was expressed very clearly. And just for the record, the proposal of the record, the South of the Middle East in that forum have since last year, I remember on the 30th of May last year, 2021, we had a meeting in Abuja year at the Saratine Hotel, and our position was voiced at that time that power shifts should go to South of Nigeria. But what happened on Monday, this last Monday, was happening to say, look, yes, we're saying power shifts to South of Nigeria, but specifically perhaps they will be given some preference. All right. So I'm sure our remarks will change, but I'm sure all the things that you've already said will constitute the answer to that. So we have, and I've had several conversations about this issue from a couple of years back with different personalities and leaders of groups, including Ohanez and Ibo, even factions of Ohanez and Ibo. And there is a school of thought that says, you shouldn't say Southeast. You should say Indigo, that we have Indigo spread across different parts of the country, only divided or kept out of the Southeast because of the act of man by simply drawing the maps. So you have Ibo in Delta State. You're very well aware of that. I shouldn't bore you. We have Ibo in Cross River State. We have Ibo in Benua State. We have Ibo in Aqaibom State. We have Ibo in River State. Should these members of Ibo tribe be denied the right to at least represent their kinsmen if they have the opportunity and experience at the know-how to be the next president of Nigeria? Kofi, let me restate what I said earlier. And as I said earlier, I'm the acting coordinator of South Africa Leaders Forum. That's the position our dialogue brother, Nika Agumaki used to play. And the leaders gave that responsibility to me in March this year. And I'm saying this, there are six geopolitical zones in the country, not West, not East, not Central, South West, South, South and South East. For the purposes of fairness, the Southern and Middle-Bird Leaders Forum is saying, let us consider the South East. That is our statement. We are not explaining it. And we are very clear and we think that all Nigerians understand where the South East is and what constitutes the South East. Now, if the evils agree amongst themselves that they want to see that position to any of their brothers or sisters outside of the South East, that's the decision the evils have to make. But for us as the people, as leaders of ethnic nationalities and who believe who are asking for fairness from the Nigerian state, we have also demonstrated fairness to our brothers in the South East. That's what we have done. And we hope that the rest of Nigeria will see what we see and act as required. All right. So, Pandav, and indeed, the Southern and Middle-Bird Leaders Forum is saying that if you're an Igbo from the South-South, you cannot, you will not be supported. You should not be the president of Nigeria. So, you were saying, Rotimi, Chibika, Mechi, Minnesota Transportation, and Ezebo, yes, and Wike, the governor of River State, should not contest for that position in the spirit of fairness. That's what you're saying as a group. That's not what we're saying. Okay. What we have said is here, and I repeat again for the third time, let Nigeria give preference to the South East. The South-South, the Southwest in Southern Nigeria have reduced precedent. Now, as an individual from South-South and Pandav specifically has an organization that made comments and releases to the fact that, look, there are sentiments in the South-South that performer presidents in Nigeria did not complete the Statute 3 ATS. And so, we could not, at some point, play on the mind or ignore those sentiments. Those sentiments are real. That could Nigerians spend five years in office and the second time he was truncated and he lost the election, they considered defeat to President Manu Dibwari. So those sentiments are there. But for the purposes of equity, fairness, and justice, of the six geopolitical zones in the country, is the South West, South East, rather, that has not produced a precedent in this particular dissentation and dissentations before. All right. The North West had Prime Minister Taha Belawa. The North East has produced a lot of precedent. Shouj Shagari. Okay. Umarubu Sayyaradwa. And of course, President Likwari. And the South West had Chief Oleshingo Basinger. The South side had five years of precedent. Good luck to Natham. As ethnic nationalities that project and protect the interests of the people and clamor for justice, equity, and fairness, we are demonstrating what we are acting for. Okay. Mr. Robinson, we have to go. I'm very glad that you answered the last question, which was to be on Dr. Goodlock Jonathan. So you, as a Niger Delta, your leaders, even Chief Edwin Clark is saying that you should forget about the presidency for now. I want to thank you for your time. Mr. Robinson, thank you very much. Thank you so much. All right. Ken Robinson is a national publicity secretary of the Pan-Najidelta Forum and of course, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum as well. And we have a policy position in no one's set in terms. It's still plus politics. Thanks for staying with us. We'll now take a short break when we return. INEC warns electoral offenders to have a rethink during the 2023 general elections. First is Oye. Joneses. Hey, Jeffy.