 Y grwp loyal yw Asiwadw Bola Meid Tinibw y South West Agenda yw Asiwadw Swaga has officially launched in Lagos State. He is rumored to be interested in succeeding President Mohammed Bahari in 2023. However, he is yet to make any public pronouncement. The group has also stated that the national leader of the all-progressive Congress, Bola Tinibw, already has 12 million votes in the bag ahead of 2023 presidential elections. Joining us to discuss this is Kafilat Agwara. She is the Secretary for Swaga. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you very much for the role. Great. The leader of the APC has not come out to say that he is running for office, but then campaigns are launching. I am trying to understand if the man has not said or indicated interest to run, why are there campaigns on his behalf? Well, nobody has started any campaign because by law, nobody has the right to do that. The South West Agenda is a voluntary organisation. It is a non-governmental one and it is initiated by some of us. Who feels that the way we are now, the earlier we start, the better for us to start conversation with Nigerians. This is why last year we started moving around the South West Zone. We found out that some Northerners are saying that it is unconstitutional for anyone to say that there should be power shifts or power rotations. But we all know that power shifts and power rotations is already like a culture, a law and a tradition. It is like a political policy already in the country. Once the Northerners are there for 80 years, automatically it should come back to the South. This is why the South West Agenda was initiated. We came about this by getting a lot of votes on the South West Zone from different states in the South West to see that together and then visualise how we can ensure that the right peg is in the right hole this time around in 2023. Our issues have been there for too long, of which we have elected different leaders with the intention and the vision and the views and the thoughts that this time around this person will get to try. This time around as politicians, or this time around we want Nigerians in their own thinking, in their own thoughts, in their own wisdom to pick a leader that will fix Nigeria for months. And this is why the South West Agenda is rooting for, you know, a neutralised Nigerian a man with defined vision and vision who has the capacity, the character, the charisma and even the courage for new ideas and strategies. This is somebody that we know that he has on parallel love for the poor and the underprivileged. I want to know that if he is to publicise the effort and the support that he gives to the next village, I'm sure Ashwajibola net will be on there every day. So we believe so much in him because of his consistency as a progressive, you know, and also a loyal opposition because it is the loyalty that he has doing with the opposition that has helped to salvage the multifaceted electoral democracy in Nigeria today. OK, let me come in. Let me come in there because you raised a lot of issues. You said with the issues that we've been facing in this country, I'm changing the words, I'm insurmountable and things have to change. So hold on, hold on, I'm going somewhere. Just hold on, hold on, I'm going somewhere. Yeah, I know, just hold on, I'm going somewhere. So the person that Swaga is being put together in honour of is a member of the same party that came to us in 2015 and told us that they saw where we were as a country and promised us that they were going to bring us change. Nigerians came out en masse, many Nigerians, voted for the APC and the mess that Nigerians are in today, including you and I, is as a result of this same party that you are trying to push for your leader to run as Presidency on their ticket. Why should the Aved Nigerian trust your party? Again, if the truth that you sold us or the idea you sold to us has not paid off and we just have about two years to go, why should anyone listen to what you have to say? Well, the present government being led by President Mohammad Gwari, I'm sure we are seeing, you know, they have done a lot. Really? Can you tell us what they've done? Governments will always do only what they can do, as far as they can go. And this is what President Mohammad Gwari made government has done so far, so good. We are not saying it is the best that Nigeria can have and this is why we are saying that... So people have argued that President Mohammad Gwari with the security challenges, budgetary, and all these, you know, issues that Nigeria has to be, is a moral burden already for Ashwajibola Mestiniw, because he's one of the champions, you know, who can vast for President Mohammad Gwari to become the president. And if you also remember, you found out that President Mohammad Gwari has been trying, trying, trying to be president. Let's find the fact that some people have said that we have so, so thousand number of votes, but those votes have never been transformed into elective office. We have not won any election with those votes until Ashwajibola Mestiniw did for whatever cause. And this goes to say that Ashwajibola Mestiniw knows how to fix things. He knows how to put the right things in the right hole. Don't forget that we use... So does this mean that he can pick anybody, anybody he randomly supports, whether the person is good for Nigeria or not, can become president? Is that what you're saying? Is that what you're saying? So you're saying, you're suggesting that if Bwala Mestiniwbola Mestiniwbola were to pick, for example, somebody, anybody, and support that person to be president, he will be president, whether the person can deliver or not, right? I'll ask it again. You're saying that because of the support of the leader of your party, the president emerged. Now, so you're telling us as Nigerians that whoever your party leader decides to support, whoever he throws his weight behind, can become president, can win the votes of Nigerians. Whether the person can deliver or not, right? No, no, that's not the point. What I'm saying is that if you look at the personality of Ashwajibola Mestiniw, you find out that when he was in government in Lagos Bay as a governor of Lagos Bay in 1990, in 1997, you will also be a witness to the transformational change in Lagos Bay. And the vision that he has always had then to make that has distinguished Lagos Bay from other states. And the way he has built a lot of Nigerians, a lot of nationalities today in this country, nobody has such credentials like Ashwajibola Mestiniwbola. And not of specialities in different capacities that have set this country in different capacities. They have done so very, very, including the vastness net of this country. So we are saying that for a man like that, who has the vision to position people in the right places, you will definitely be a good president and we also have a good number of people around him to work with him that can deliver the idea from where we are today. Now there are so many people in the south, by the way. The south is not just made up of the south west. There are so many people in the south who are also throwing their hats into the ring. Let's not forget, the southeast seems to be the one getting the short end of the stick who have never really been able to produce a president and that's not because they can't, it's just because the opportunity has not been given to them. We've had a former president, Lloesia Gwmabasangor, from the south west. We've had a former president, Goodlock Johnson, from the south south. And then we of course went back to the north where we had President Bahairi. Why shouldn't the southeast get a shot at it? Well, most of the place they see is drawn to the south by the party of which we already we already taken that for granted that definitely we have to come to the south. Any zone in the south, south south south west south east has the right to contest for it. But we are clamoring and we are conversing. They have the right to also clamor and converse and lobby other party leaders to ensure that it goes to their zone. But the south west agenda 2023 is saying that we have the best candidates in the whole of the south that can be that, you know, that's a list for the real total revamp that Nigeria needs to get. Because if you know who Ashurji Bola makes you know who he is, you will know that he is exactly what Nigeria needs to get because we need personally committed people that knows the strategic fundamentals to build and implement public policy for the common good of all. And we believe that Ashurji Bola is that man that can take us to where we really want to go to. Finally, look as I as a person I'm an advocate of generationality. I believe that, you know, most of the time I believe that the younger ones should be able to encourage the younger ones to encourage young people to come up politically. I have had hundreds of young people call me to tell me that they want to join this team because Ashurji Bola has forced their life one way or the other. OK. Finally, because we're almost out of time. Do you want to say something? Yes, the vice president, as you know, has gotten a knot from the presidency to, you know, throw his hat into the ring in terms of vying for the same office that the leader of your party is vying. Will he be able to go toe to toe with the president, the vice president, I beg your pardon, knowing that he's the number two officer in the land and also in the party? Who told you he has got the knot of the president? Well, it's in the news. Do you read the papers? I wouldn't know where you heard that from. I just told you. But I believe that Professor Yemi Oshibaju and Ashurji Bola had met Tinobu are still very, very cordial political associates. And I think it's just the media that is trying to create what does all exist amongst them. We believe that Ashurji Bola had met Tinobu is one of the great fighters for this democracy that we enjoyed today. He was persecuted, he was arrested, he was detained, he was harassed and he will have to go on political exile. What more can you ask of the central? So we believe that he's the one, he's the one that dominated for Professor Oshibaju to be the vice president of this country. Interesting. Then, I'm sure he had the opportunity to be the vice president when he sacrificed and he nominated that this person can reach for us and that was how it came to be. So this is public knowledge, this is what we know Ashurji for. He sacrificed him for the good of all and that is exactly what he should be for 90 years. All right, Cafilat Ogbair is the secretary of Swaga and we want to thank you very much for being part of the conversation. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you for staying with us. Up next, Nigerians will tell us if process should be allowed to take place as the one-year anniversary of answers draws near and when we return, I will give you my take. I think we should because it's a freedom of speech. You don't keep people quiet. Fine. I know things happened and people were silent and they weren't allowed to talk. They weren't allowed to say what's on their mind but we can't allow the government to always have their way. They've tried to shut us up as youth, not to allow us to talk and fine but we as a youth we have a voice and that's why we have the media. We can still go on media together and do this thing. Keep doing what we know how to do. I wonder if God will hear us. Considering the fact that people are fighting and actually very gullible and cunning in their own ways I think protests is not really what we need right now. I think what we need to do as youth now is to sacrifice as much people as we can as regards 2023 election. That is the only thing you can truly make in this country. How we elect our leaders and how we put the right people in the right position. That is what we should be thinking of how we can strategise and plan towards 2023. That's real of course as youth of this nation. We are the leader of tomorrow. When are we going to achieve that aim? We've been saying all this for many years now. And all those cabars, all those babas they refuse to leave to leave the post so that we can try our own possible best and see how we're going to do it. And the soul wasted during the first answers is very alarming the blood is crying for revenge and we can't wait looking at the way things are going because everybody is fed up. To be inside me I'm just tired. Even though I'm a Christian the Christianity is really coming to us now as a Christian. And I think we should remember all those people that have laid down their life for us the youth and the blood we have to honour them. We have to do our own answers until they listen to our agitation. We have won last year and even up until now I don't think there's been any positive result yet as of now. So what I feel is even if we're going to have another protest it should be unified you know it should be unified and as citizens we have we have the right to protest we have the right to protest but one thing I'm not starting about is what's going to happen after the protests especially here in Nigeria so that is what I feel I feel it should be unified but if not I don't think it's necessary. Here's my take Now I'm not here to sermonise about how bad our leaders are or how terrible their response has been to the role of law Instead I want to address Nigerians so give me your ears We must not stop at complaining and mummering in private because we seem a bit too lukewarm about issues these days that seem to be strangling us to our deaths daily. Instead of screaming at the top of your lungs we're supposed to be making sure that these people hear us but we're resigning to fates daily and committing things to God and say let's hope for a miracle God is not going to come down and help us No the truth is even facing other things their children are dying in Somalia there are things that are happening, earthquakes in different parts of the world God is interested in those things he cannot come down and save Nigerians so if Nigerians don't make moves and take action that will bring these wayward politicians or high handed leaders to book nothing is going to happen we can't keep waiting for the United Kingdom or the US or even the United Nations to come to our help at all Nigeria will not change if Nigerians do not change it we have to realise that the office of the citizen of the federal republic of Nigeria is the most powerful office in the land and a handful of leaders cannot rob you of those rights and your powers know your rights I am Mary Annacol and thank you for watching to have a good evening