 Tonight, with his casting, coming governors and the fate of Southeast Government for him and presidential election potential, he will tolerate technicalities by being warned. This is plus politics, a diary and a column. As the new administration sets in on May 29 this year, there are hopes that the umbrella body, binding governors of the Southeast region, christened the Southeast Governors for him, will begin to leave up to his expectations. With the caliber of governors that are to join the forum from this month. Now the forum which kick started by the governors from the People's Democratic Party at the time, after the return of democracy in 1999, has continued to suffer from lack of commitment of its members and politics of interest. Now from control by the PDP governors that helped sway 1999 to 2003, the APCA governor produced in a number of states in 2005, Peter B joined the forum. The PPA which produced Governor Iqadio Hakim in a more state in 2007, followed suit. For Mohakim, Okoro Chahou won his first election in APCA in 2011 and later joined the APC followed. As members leave and new wants joined from other political parties, the goal and aspirations of the forum has continued to dwindle. Now with the outcome of the 2023 general elections, four political parties including the APC, the PDP, Labour Party and APCA, will now run the forum which may have forgotten about its existence. With the likes of Alex Soti from Abia State, Pitamba from Enugu State, and Francis Muifuru from Eboian State joining, and then of course Anambra State Governor Charles Toludo, and that of Imo State Hopu Zodima in that forum, are there tendencies that the forum could revive the work for the collective interest of Nibu? Now this is the big question that people in the region would want to address. And joining us to discuss this are political analysts Francis Chilaka and Charles O2. Good evening gentlemen and thank you so much for joining us. Good evening. Good evening. All right great. All right let's start with Francis. Francis it's very interesting that just as I said in my opening, it started with a purely PDP Governors Forum in the South-East, and then of course different parties continued to infiltrate, you know, or rather hold sway in the Governors Forum. And now we've seen another shift and another change. Many people would say because of the different political parties, and this is what has destroyed, you know, the hopes and aspiration of the people of the South-East through this Governors Forum. But then if these people are Governors of the people in the South-East, should the interest of the people not be priority over party interest? Well I would start by saying that the whole essence of having the Governors Forum is not about the political party you represent, it's about the fact that you are a Governor from the South-East you were voted in by the people of the South-East. So we expect that, you know, coming together of different Governors from different political parties, it will help to create a synergy where because each Governor coming from their political parties, they have their own agenda, they have their own manifestos. So I'm sure that when they sit down on the round table, we should have a robust discussion and something that will be focused on developing the South-East. It's going to be interesting because it's not going to be like, it's not going to be as usual, it's not going to be something that we are used to, but it's going to be a situation where different political parties are coming together for the interest of the people. That is what the Governors Forum should really stand for. But then of course, just as you've said, these Governors are supposed to work for the interest of the people to gather, to confront, I mean, we all know it's common knowledge that the South-East of the country has had, you know, the short end of the stick when it comes to infrastructure, development, et cetera, et cetera. But you cannot also put it past the Governors, can you? Because if you don't have a Governor that is pushing for some of these things and these developments to happen within the States and from the federal level, can we really blame the federal government if the Governors in the States are not pushing for the interest of their own people? Well, let me put it the way it is, black and white, I'm not going to paint it in any other way. We've had Governors who are very selfish, self-centered, who do not understand the fact that the people voted them into power. It's been about them, it's all about them, it's not about the people. I believe that this time around, you know, with this new bloods and this new political parties coming together, I expect them to be able to say, look, how do we get the South-East to work? How do we get things to work? How do we move Governance from the high heavens to the ordinary people who voted us in? And I believe that, you know, with the new Governor they have an idea. I'm expecting a lot of changes. I have a lot of, you know, trust in the new... And I believe that coming with his own ideas, measuring with the idea of somebody like Charles Solodio and so, we should have a robust forum where the plight of the South-Easterners should be on the front burner. And for them to also say, look, we need to have a developmental plan for the South-East. You know, six years' holding plan, four years' holding plan, two years' holding plan. The South-East Governors should be able to come out and lead all the Governors. But unfortunately, it hasn't been like that, you know, because the great selfishness has overtaken everything. But I want to believe that what we have that's going to play out is going to give us a better leadership in the South-East. Let me go to you, Charles Solodio. Let's start with Ann Amverestate. For example, the last time I was talking to somebody from the Indigo group, what's it called now? Hane is Indigo. We were talking about the Ann Amver election, which I covered. And he kept saying there's so many billionaires in Ann Amverestate. There's so many billionaires, but I went to Ann Amverestate. I wasn't sure if I was happy or if I was confused. And that's not necessarily the fault of the billionaires. But of course, we're talking about good leadership. That Governor Solodio made a lot of promises as to what he's going to be doing in Ann Amverestate and set the pace, a competitive pace of sorts for other Governors in the South-East to follow. Can we say that Governor Solodio has even started to scratch the surface of that particular promise? And should the Governors within the Forum not be competing to see who's better in terms of their developmental strides as opposed to fighting over political interests? Charles, can you hear me? Oh, I don't think we have Charles. Okay. Maybe Francis, you'd like to attempt? You see, this is what has been playing out in the South-East. And I am from the South-East. I'm from Amosley. And first of all, I want to use my state as an example. Amosley has not been the way it used to be. People don't even travel to the East. Is that bad? The rate of kidnapping, the rate of killing is outrageous. Now, the question is, why is all this coming from? It's coming from the fact that you have a leadership that is far away from the people. Don't forget that the current Governor we have in Amosley came as a result of the rulings of the Supreme Court. And the Amo people have not come to terms with that. And there has been so much anger, so much frustration, so much anxiety. There's so much hatred in the land. Now, I would have expected that the Governor, like Opus of Inman, would calm down and form a unity government and try to accuse the people. No, but it's not happening. Now, you can take it to Anambra as well. Charles Holodow, as a Governor, has started well. But he's spending so much time talking. He's spending so much time fighting, fighting that he shouldn't even be involved in. As a Governor, he should be concentrated on his team. But you can see he's been busy. Every opportunity he has, he wants to throw a swipe at the Labor Party presidential candidate. So I keep asking myself, what is the problem? What is the problem? Why is it that we have leaders in the Southeast that are finding it difficult to come together? The Southeast is not what it used to be. It used to be a land of peace and all of that. But we don't have the peace anymore. It's not there. So something is definitely wrong. And what is wrong is that those who have held this way as Governors are far from the people. Their leadership style, their leadership is not about the people. It's about them and the interests they represent. And we need to get this mindset of leadership in this country. We need to begin to have leaders who relate directly with the people, who feel the pains of the people, who understand that the people, they have a voice to ask for something. Unfortunately, what you have always had is, you have Governors who believe that, oh, this community needs water. You're not asking the community what they want. You just believe that this is what they want. So we need to get that mindset off. We need to have Governors who are proactive. You can be a Governor. You have SSA. You have SSA. You have commissioners. And yet, they cannot add value. And you keep them there. There's some in this room. For me, it is painful. It is sad when I see the level of degradation going on in the South East. When I see the level of kidnapping and the level of killing. I mean, look, for how many months now, they've turned Monday into a public holiday. What are the Governors doing about it? So these are issues. It's killing the economic vibrance of the States. And something needs to be done. And the only people that can be able to do something about it is the Governors to sit down and say, look, there are agitations. Let us sit down. Let us discuss. I believe that negotiation and discussion is best than war. So these are things that they need to do and they need to do it urgently. Charles, I don't know if you're back. Charles, can you hear me? Mr. Tu, can you hear me? I can hear you. Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. Perfect. Let me take it to your stage. I like what Francis has said about the fact that negotiations and deliberations are important. I remember sometime last year, the Southeast Governors Forum had a tea party. That's what I'm going to call it, because they talked about the fact that they were going to deal with the situation of insecurity and they talked tough. And right after that tea party, everybody went to sleep. And then, of course, everybody started campaigning and then elections were here. Elections have come and gone, but the issues in the Southeast are still pending. Now let's go to Erboying, where Wifu has, of course, been declared the governor-elect. Does he have what it takes to deal with the situation in Erboying State? And just like Francis said, will he be the one to ask the people what they want as opposed to pre-empting what the people want? Okay, thank you very much. I'm not sure I can hear you, Francis. I'm sorry. I'm not sure I can hear you, Jals. I can hear you. Okay, well, I can't hear you, but go ahead. The major challenge of the Southeast Governors Forum is that of leadership. Leadership in the sense that the turner of the chairman of the forum upon state governor David Umahi fired several months, several years ago, a similar as fired in 2021, or get about, but he has held strongly to that position because he is using it to negotiate for himself. Okay. So, unless and until the forum purges itself of leadership going on, and then try to reassert itself, the forum cannot make progress. Now, to Erboying, the eight-week candidate in the election, Obomia Wilfuri, was declared the winner of the election. Look, can you hear me? We can hear you, go ahead. Okay. Even though there are conventions about that, some parties are in court, the fact is, remember this one, and he's going to talk about the state. Regarding the question you posed about his capacity to galvanize and tackle issues, the fact is that he took it from the current leadership position he has held. Remember that he is the speaker of the Smith House of Assembly in Erboying. Yes. And he has been the speaker on Tuesday, because that is the total of eight years of speakership. So, he's the right honorable, obviously. Yes. 2015. So, if you check his records as a performer, as a speaker, that would have answered your question. Those of us in Erboying, those of us who have seen how the executive have completely pocketed the leadership on his front pocket, not even back pocket or side pocket. I mean on the front pocket. There is absolutely no expectations that would be different from us in terms of what we've seen. So, but then it is not for him to see if he will continue in the way of his leadership or if he will throw a path especially considering the aspect of women empowerment. Because you watch, of course, the airport test flight was done. I don't know whether you saw the pictures of a green-cutty portion of the news found the way to the airport to scramble for crumbs. So, it tells you that when they say that Erboying is the top of the capital in Nigerian and the top foreign state in the country. And, you know, the number one poverty capital in southern Nigeria it is without a mission of war. It is the reality on ground. So, and so for me, the incoming government of Erboying must focus on human empowerment and ensure that human beings are paid their dues and will do. And regarding the other issues of critical sectors like health and education that's an area he needs to work very hard on especially in the education sector. There is no time for the outgoing government that no classroom bloc was added to Erboying in the last, in Erboying in the last eight years. The records are there, Maria. You can ask questions, you can Google it. You can even read some of the issues that have been contended both in health, education and agriculture. So, but it is sure that the incoming administration will at least take off on a different level and look at these critical sectors including most importantly human empowerment. All right. Let's quickly move away from Erboying. Let's go to Abia. Now, Abia State seems to be one of those states in the southeast that would be considered the Lagos of, you know, the southeast. Unfortunately, that's not the case. We also know that there's several economic activities, several things that could be developed that are still not developed. I mean, compared to Anamba State where Governor Saludo says he wants to turn it into a mini Dubai but Anamba has a lot of potentials that are lying fallow, bad infrastructure. Anamba seems to have been forgotten or abandoned by its former governors and even the sitting governors, hence the emergence of the Labor Party candidate who is now the governor-elect. Do we see an Alex Otey able to also pull his weight being that Abia State has been lacking in terms of good governance? Do we see any of that because you see this is another person coming from the banking sector just like a Charles Saludo. How ready is he to deal with that situation? Very implicit confidence that Alex Otey will be able to turn up the around. Even if, I could say, within the trust-tenant office, within the trust-tenant office. Because you look at people and presidents even in previous positions or current position of the party. If you look at Alex Otey, for instance, the caliber of people he has assembled in his transition come to see, the likes of Ndazio Konjuewala over there, a lot of problems around the Abia Governor-elect. Even the hurry with which he is in to turn around projects and facilities within Abia, the commercial center of Abia State, you can beat your chest and say that this is the man who knows who he wants from the beginning. Maria, there is something like him in our governor's hands. I think I only see very few of even these elected governors as falling into the class of people who can correct that. And that is the aspect of assembling a team that is creative. The other thing that we are very doing in the transition, the integration of the community, if you shake a crossword and see a lot of young people from even other states of defigration who are assembled to bring their ideas on how to move our other forward. So as long as Alex Otey keeps exposing himself to brilliant minds, no matter where they come from or where they're from, the most important thing is to bring back credible government that can see trust on what the three judges, the two judges and their funds, their last shoes that has been done in Abia. Thank you, Dr Claude. Nothing will function. So I'll talk to you later. Okay. Let me go back to you, Francis. We've talked about Emo your state. We've talked about Abia. Let's talk about Enugu. That's one state that's not necessarily had any form of insecurity or uprisings or agitation. And I remember travelling through Enugu airport on my way to Anambra to cover the government elections at the time. And I said, surprisingly, Enugu has succeeded not to have the kind of insecurity that every other state surrounding it in the South East has had. And instead as a result of good governance or maybe the governor just has his hand on the handle when it comes to insecurity. But have they generally fared well in terms of leadership and good governance? Enugu State has enjoyed streets because they've had a government or they've had successive governments who believe in dialogue. And like I said earlier, when you need to talk to people, you find solutions. The war you're angling for can actually be erased the moment you sit down and begin to discuss. And this is the problem we've had in Enugu. The governor is not ready to sit down and discuss with those who are agitated. As a father, if your kids begin to get violent or begin to get unruly, you don't carry a cane or carry a gun to start chasing them. What you do is to call them on the round table and find out what the problem is. And the way you talk to people the way you handle issues will also give people the confidence to be able to relate better with you. So Enugu State has really enjoyed good governance. Maybe not in terms of infrastructure but they've enjoyed good governance in terms of relationship with the people. And this matters a lot. Every leader must have a way to draw the people to themselves. So if the other governors have done this, I am telling you you will have peace in the Southeast. And so finally before I let you gentlemen go Francis, lastly do we see a revival of the Southeast Governors Forum and do we see them coming up with impeccable ideas on how to deal with the situation in the Southeast finally? Honestly speaking they have no choice because without what has played out politically where at the federal level the Southeast really has nothing in their commerce. So I think it's time for them to sit back as governors who have been elected by the people to ask themselves questions, how do we manage the situation at hand? They need to come together devoid of political party affiliations. The Southeast can actually come back to life politically at the national level. Well I want to say thank you Francis Chilaca Charles or two both are political analysts. Thank you so much for being part of the conversation this is where we have to wrap things up on this segment. Thank you. Alright, coming up presidential election petitions tribunal we won't tolerate technicalities we'll break this down after the break.