 The People's Democratic Party PDP has accused your progressive Congress APC of being responsible for the escalated tensions, violence, mass killings, kidnappings, terrorism and banditry, devastating various parts of the country. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary Collette O'Lobodyn, the main opposition party said that since the APC assumed office in 2015, the nation has not known peace. Wel, joining us to discuss this is O'Bodnaw Ngw'r Kei. He is the APC Spokesperson for River State and Emeka Muadio Kei. He is a legal practitioner and also former spokesperson for the People's Democratic Party in River State, Darlingson Argy. Thank you very much, gentlemen, for joining us. Thank you. I'm going to start with you, Darlingson. Of course, the PDP seems to be heaping blames on the APC for all of the wars that Nigeria has been experiencing lately. In fact, in Mr O'Lobodyn's speech, he dated back to 2015 when the APC came into power, he said that the country has not known peace from then. Really, why is the APC responsible for all of our problems all of a sudden? Well, thank you for the privilege to speak on these issues. For me, when the APC was coming in power in 2014, when they were campaigning, part of their campaign is that they are going to provide better security for the lives and properties of Nigerian people. They are going to make sure that Boko Haram will be hot. They are going to make sure that Chippo Chairs will be released. They are going to make sure that Fua will return to One Niner. And all these promises that are made to the people and people key into their promises and put them in. My dear sister, since then today, what we have seen is series of kidnapping, panditry and all of that. And the defense, the ruling party, we always say it was worth during PDP regime. And if it is correct, you have pre-chained to people. And what are you doing about change? Chained by my understanding is to do things anew. So for me, for the fact that Mr President is not speaking hard, for the fact that our people are being killed on television and not former broadcast by the President of the Republic of Nigeria, who are setting an out to protect the lives and properties of our people. Weren't you expecting us to say? Remember, in 2013-2040, Mr President was nominated by Boko Haram as one of their negotiating personality. And at the end of the day, what we are seeing is, look at what is happening in South East today. A lot of these people are killed on television and nothing is happening. So for me, if you are not in support of what is happening, what have you done to make sure that you survey this equation? Can you really say that the APC under President Bahare has not really done anything to deal with the insecurities in the country? I mean, there was in Zamfara at some point, there was a no-fly zone that was declared. There was a shoot-out site declared for the Southeast. And of course, the President last week did say that he was going to deal squarely with the issue of banditry, and he said it again on the day that they were celebrating Eid. So can you really say that the government has not done anything? My dear sister, President Mohamed Buwari was elected by the people to address them and solve our problems. We did not elect his media aid, neither did we elect his spokesmen. The point I'm making here is that, what the fuck have you put in? Even if the President walked down in Castena in Duwara in particular, he's not worth it enough and taking away for weeks. How can you say you're fighting banditry when you have declared IPO of the terrorist group, and you cannot declare headlines terrorist group. You cannot declare it enough that terrorist group or banditry that is ravaging Nigeria. You see, my worry is that people decide to play politics. But if you watch the train, how it is going to get to a point where everybody will shut in his door. So for me, the APC has not done anything. The President needs to hit hard and be proactive over issues. And address Nigeria people that gave him authority to preside over us. He must convince us in what he's doing. All right, let me go to Obonan Wukei. He is the APC's spokesperson for River State. Mr Wukei, can you hear me? All right, well, let me just go to Mr Baistar Mekamwadiwkei. Baistar Mekamwadiwkei, you obviously have, I mean, everybody who lives in Nigeria is experiencing day by day if it's not kidnapping, it's killing, if it's not that, it's one thing or the other. And one would wonder why all of these things are still happening and it's not, it's unabated. Of course, we know that our police is overstretched. We have our soldiers also overstretched. They're dealing with the issue of Boko Haram in the northeast banditry in the northwest and in the middle bells. I mean, I could spend all day, you know, calling the names of all of the different issues that we're dealing with in terms of insecurity across the country. But can we really solely live this at the foot of the APC? Thank you. I believe I can be heard. Yes. Okay. Basically, just like the last speaker said, governance is about a mandate. If you're given a mandate, you know, you have to deliver. I'm aware that the APC, you know, has over time said that it has probably done better than PDP in some areas, especially in containing Boko Haram and all that. But recently it's been a very worrisome situation to the extent that people, you know, almost everybody is saying the clear state of emergency on insecurity and all that. So we can't really, it's a difficult situation. It's a difficult situation. Nigerians do not feel safe. And there's really no way to dice it. I'm aware that even in some places now, some people are living in some areas just to go to maybe the FCT, just in such a bad security. It's that bad. So, really, the box stops on Mr President's desk and it's not a good situation thus far. As much as I understand you, because you're obviously speaking from a perspective of a citizen, and it's not like you have a dog in this fight. But when we talk about the fact that the box stops at the table of Mr President, there's also some people who have, in fact, even the presidency at some point has said that some politicians are involved in the insecurities that the country is facing. There are people who are stoking the fire. Let's not forget that aside from the insecurity, there are ethnic tensions that are brewing. It's become a regional thing. And we have seen this issue more politicised than ever. Instead of us seeking solutions, it has become a theatre for politicisation. Why do you think that is? Basically, it's what it is. It's politics. So, if the government is there to secure lives and property, and it also goes as far as the issue of even dealing with the opposition, if they are found to be culpable in commenting trouble and all that. At the end of the day, it's not really about pointing fingers. If opposition politicians are found to be culpable, bring them to justice. If it's criminals, bandits, kidnappers, or whatever you call them, bring them to justice. It's just as simple as that. So, you may not rule out the fact that, especially in Nigeria, you see a situation where some people may play pranks in trying to bring down, or come to power through the bad door, whether by commenting trouble or not. But even if you recall that, even in that PDP statement, they actually said that even the APC brought in mercenaries to gain power. So, are they paying them in their own coin or whatever? We've seen some videos unverified. People claiming that they had a deal and so on and so on. So, all these are, for me, basically conjectures. My concern is that you have demanded to secure lives and property. So, however you do it, especially through intelligence, for instance, funding, they adequately funded if they are not, why not? Now, if you have the adequate funds, so it doesn't really, it's not really an issue of PDP trying to gain power through, track them down, bring them to justice if you have the evidence. It's not equally about maybe trying to victimize. So, hard evidence, hard facts, invest the, use the funds properly, gain intelligence, track these guys down and bring them to justice wherever it is. Okay, I'm not sure if we have a one-on-one care here because we would love to get a response from the APC, but I think he's not joined us yet. So, I'm going to go back to you, Mr Orgy. The PDP alleged that the PDP had come into power with a gender weed agenda to foist a reign of terror, balkanize, destabilize and raise down the country for their selfish gains. And this is very, very tough allegations. Is the PDP alleging that since the APC came into office that this country has been turned upside down? I mean, at some point, we had peace. This is something that has just become big since last year. It's not that since 2015 we've always had the issue of terrorism to deal with. But let's look at what happened yesterday. Greenfield students were returned to their parents' thankful even though they said that they had to pay millions to get their children out. Even though, at some point, there were allegations that, or in fact, the police had said that no money was being paid for the rescue of these students. But just as those parents were jubilating that their children were home, another set of students were taken in Niger states, and this is just a state that is just away from the FCT. I asked you earlier on, and I think I asked Baristar, Why is this issue of insecurity politicised? Also, could the PDP be opportunistic at this point to be making these statements because they know that the country is facing some form of insecurity and this is an opportunity for them to shine? Why is the PDP not giving ideas on how to solve the level of insecurity that we're facing in the country? Let me tell you, in a working society, we would have been seeing people that are drawing this away and taking a vow. Because when you make promises, government is a social contract. When do you promise to keep the promises? If you cannot keep it to the promises you make, it means you have failed. Now, let me give you an instance. In 2014, the today's governor of Cerdunas State, Masru Erofae, made a statement when the chief officer was kidnapped and said, why can't government negotiate with bandits to go around hoodlands and release the children of Nigeria no matter what is involved? In 2018, now he's a governor and he's saying how can government go to negotiate with bandits? That is one. Two, if you watch the video of the release of those children yesterday, you will shed tears for Nigeria next round. We have parents who are saying that they contributed to the total of $170 million in Nigeria. They have to sell all they have to make sure that they bring out their beloved ones. Has government not failed? Has government not given up? What does it tell the government to give up? When you cannot longer guarantee the security of life and properties of the people that you throw in the tower? What is the precedence? I'm sorry, Mr Argyll. What's the precedence? Never has any Nigerian politician stepped down because he failed to do his job or because people have criticised him and asked him to do that. That's what I've told you. I'm sorry. I'm going somewhere. Just hold on. Mr Argyll, can you hold on? Hold on. I'm going somewhere. Can you allow me to finish asking my question? The PDP ran this country for 16 years. At what point did any governor who was not able to do his job or any politician under the flagship of the PDP, stepped down because he was unable to do his job or that the people were dissatisfied? You guys didn't set the precedence. So why are you hoping that the APC would do the same? If you draw my attention to a governor or a president or a president that didn't do well, then I'll have a statement to make. How can you say that? So you're telling me that we were all satisfied with former President Abbas and Joe? No, I agree that people cannot be satisfied. But there are things that are expected of you as a leader to provide for the people and not about complaints. See, under your watch, something will happen and you say it happened once during PDP race. So what did he say to the people? He preached change to the people and changed his method. So he leads the old way to a better way today and what we are seeing is suffering and suffering. You see, my sister, let me tell you. Nigeria where we are today, whether we are playing politics with security or not, if we are not careful, it may consume. You know what did nothing happen? They started with white people and some people were laughing. As I speak today, everybody had nothing for you. So for me, what is important is that the government should raise the responsibility and be proactive. Does it mean that our intelligence department is not working? Does it mean that the national security adviser is not working? Don't you smear against the nation? Don't you care that? What is wrong with our intelligence country? Okay. Since the government has not failed. So for me, the OTC has something to answer, they have skeleton in their cohort and they must respond to the cry of Nigeria but to provide you quality security and to be not to secure their lives and provide you a profit. All right. When I'm okay, just joined us is the APC spokesperson for River State. I'm okay. Unfortunately, I think you are having connection issues so you joined us late. The PDP is alleging that all of the walls that the people of Nigeria, the Nigerian state is facing now in terms of its security, banditry, I mean, name it. It's because of the APC. What's your response? Let me thank you for the invitation and to say straight ahead that we are amazed that people who should know better, people who should appreciate the fact that Nigeria is close to a state of war, are playing politics with security-related issues. I believe that at a time like this, regardless of our political leaning, this is the time when Nigerians of all persuasions must come together in order to fight the common enemy. The common enemy here are those who are engaged in kidnapping, who are engaged in, ability to see, who are engaged in insurgency. Now, it's not the time to push the blame game. It's the time to come together, find solutions. I believe that people who are causing trouble in Nigeria live in our midst. Let's also agree, regardless of what is going on, the Nigerian security system is yet to adapt completely to a gorilla warfare pattern of crime. Before this situation got to the point where it is, the APC should have done something because I remember vividly when we started having these pockets of violence. When we came to the government of President Bohari and to the APC-led administration, that these issues should be dealt with. If these issues were neared in the board, would we, as you have said, be inching towards a war situation, but God forbid, nobody is advocating for that. Now, the point I'm just trying to make here is that it took 16 years of PDP rule to lay the foundation for insecurity. How do you mean lay the foundation? Listen, listen. If we don't lay down the foundation of what has transpired in Nigeria, then we just have to find solutions. Now, in saying all of this, I'm not trying to, in any way, put the blame on the PDP, but I'm saying that things like Boko Haram took root under the leadership of PDP. We need to study the situation. We need to, in order to tackle it, the army has been up in arms against terrorists. And other operations of terrorists are not as conventional. And so I also believe that security agencies are trying to adapt to the realities on ground because you're not saying this is where the enemy lives. The enemy is within you. But what we are saying, or what I'm saying, is that in order to defeat this kind of crime, we need to come together as a people under the leadership that has been offered at this time to find common grounds of action. This is the point. It is ridiculous that at a time like this, the PDP would spend more time playing politics. Why must we are concerned? My time reminds you, Mr Unwke. I just quickly, and I'm not in any way, I just want to play the devil's advocate here. It is on the same heels for, I mean, in fact, this issue of insecurity may not have been as bad as it was in 2014, but this is how the APC rose to power by politicising the issue of insecurity. And today we have the APC in power. You played your position, interestingly, well, that got you here. Now the PDP is doing the same, and you're saying that they're politicising it. Is this not a part calling the kettle black situation? No, no, no, no. The circumstances were different. In the beginning, the circumstances were very, very different. Now we found ourselves in a system where the Boko Haram, for example, was gaining grounds across the country, and very little was done, even to check me, by the time the Bawaria administration came in, and please remember that some local governments in the Northeast have been lost to the insurgents. But on a comparative basis, even though we still have pockets of unrest, most of those grounds held by the Boko Haram have been snatched from them. But perhaps going about it in a manner which suggests that we are begging the question is what I want to support. Now, what is critical at this point in time? How to restore security to Nigeria? How to ensure that we live in peace? And all of us, whether you are politically aligned or non-politically aligned, this is the time for us all to come together to serve this country. And I think more than engaging in the playing game, this is what we need to do, act together. The security forces need intelligence. They need to be properly informed. Now, there is very little that they can do if those in whose localities these bad acts are operating and doing very little to help in terms of voluntary information. So, I think we need to reorientate our thinking so that collectively we can defeat the common enemy. Well, I want to thank everybody because we are out of time. Darling Synodgy, former PDP Spurx Pressin for Rivers State. I want to thank Barry Syme, Mekat Muwadioke for being part of the conversation and of course, Wunat Ngwke, APC Spurx Pressin for Rivers State for being here. Thank you gentlemen. We have to go. Thank you very much. Alright, well thank you all for being here. Thank you for staying with us, ladies and gentlemen. It has been an interesting show tonight, but I say goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow at 7. On Plus Politics, I am Mary Annicom.