 And we're back with the breakfast and plus TV Africa time for us to talk about the elections and the behaviour surrounding the election just few more days before that happens. Campaigns ramp up towards the footcoming general elections and the National Peace Committee has met with some presidential candidate and other stakeholders on bridges to the peace accord signed in September 2022. However, candidates of the People's Democratic Party PD Piatikua Buboka and that of the Labour Party Pitabi did not attend the event. Attika was represented by his running mate, Governor Ifa Yokoa of Delta State and the Chairman of the Committee and from ahead of state up to Salamiya Buboka in his speech. Admonish the candidates to moderate their speech and speeches to ensure peaceful elections. Since Niger gained her political independence on October 1, 1960, Nigerians have witnessed the same pattern in political campaigns. Public office holders have chosen to dwell on name calling, blame game, campaign of colony and smear campaign rather than facing real issues constituting a clog in the wheel of the country's progress. Now joining us this morning to discuss all of the developing issues is Ladik Paul Johnson. This spokesperson of New Nigeria People's Party, that's the NNPP Johnson Ladik Paul, it's good to have you join us. Thank you. Good morning. Yes please. So quickly let's get to it. Do you think that there's any sincerity with this political gladiators towards the peace accord and the actions? Well I think there is some form of sincerity at least among some of them. The problem with the peace accord is that you know the structure goes all the way from the national down to the wards and most of these incidents, violence and what have you. You see tend to come at the grassroots level or when they're having rallies or what have you. But it is incumbent on the candidates themselves to ensure that and the party, not just the candidates, the party, to ensure that they keep educating their supporters. Then a lot of it also has to do with the spokespersons. They tend to heat up the polity with the things they say, the antagonism amongst them and you see the supporters pick these things up. And whilst it might not cause problems today, it might cause problems when election results are released and announced. So yes I think that some are sincere about it. Of course we've had breaches in the agreement already and that might have been one of the reasons why the second events took place. But we keep working towards making Nigerians understand that it's meant to be for service. You're meant to be going into government to serve. But for some people I believe it's a business venture. And if you're stopping someone from being in control of trillions of Naira, then he could do anything. You're a legal practitioner and you know better than most things that are legally binding. If any of the candidates sign such a piece of code, are they legally bound to ensure? Because I mean some say it's a waste of time, some say it's just a talk shop, there's nothing there. It's never worked and it shouldn't really be pursued. What do you say to this? Well I think for what we have, where we are at, even if it is for the optics, it is good that we still have this because of our level of development. It would be difficult holding a party chairman or a candidate where some members, most times these people are not even members of the party, where some supporters or thugs go and cause mayhem and they are arrested. How do you make the party chairman for instance or the candidate vicariously liable for the behavior and the actions of those people? As I said, invariably most of these people might not even be card-carrying members of the party. But for the sake, for the fact that we focus our attention on such things, on the fact that there is a need to guard against violence etc., it is good. It's just because this is our level of development unfortunately. Interesting. Still with this issue of issue-based campaign and then the legality and all that. If you remember, you said, the message said in the intro that a couple of candidates were not there the second time. The first time some major candidates were not there. Do you think that there is political will? Because you talked about the supporters and the party, the role they played. But the fact, from what we see, playing out in the recent Nigerian political history, is the rhetoric of fake candidates in political rhetoric. It's nothing to write home about. Some things they say. We've heard some of those say elections do or die are fair. I'm not talking about the ones that are fake news. As far as you're concerned, is there political, is there will, the willingness by the candidates to tone down their violent rhetoric and some of the things they say. Do or die are fair, you're ready to get dirty. You go to even the states, the governorship candidates, the things they say. There's one popular governor who knows me and sees a lot of things that can move people to violence. Yes, unfortunately, among some of them, there's a will to be decent, to follow proper behavior and to stick to the guidelines. But there are some, unfortunately, who believe it is a do or die affair. As I say, or as I said earlier, some people believe that it is a business venture. And as long as they believe that, they will do anything. They can do, including resorting to violence, attacking opposition members and members of other parties. They'll do all those things. So it will take time. And you see, if there is no enforcement, if we do not call them out, it will continue. But you see, let's us say this. I think that this election, or these elections, are slightly different. We've had, for one reason or the other, and I thank God for it. We've had people become more interested. And when, if we can get a large turnout of voters, then it will be more difficult to rig. And it will be more difficult for people to carry out violent acts. You see, the way they operate is this. They have groups of touts or whatever. They cannot go everywhere. They probably target one or two places, depending where they feel their candidate is losing, or where they feel their candidate is weaker. They try to target those areas. They try to target coalition centers. Now you have a machine that is transmitting electronically. So gradually these things will begin to reduce, and they will see that it will be game over. Maybe within two or three electoral cycles. But I know that it won't be wrong for us to have this conversation. And it's not too early to have the conversation as to how do we now encourage the culture of not a do or die affair, because that would also trickle down to what we say to the electorates, what the political class or the gladiators begin to chunk out as a way of words and their actions, because they also look at them and emulate. So what kind of behaviors? Do we need policies? What do we really need to put in place to get to that point? I think the policies are there, and maybe yes you could put in more policies. But the bottom line is the people. It is the people that will set that agenda. When a spokesperson comes in, calls this person a bastard, does this, does that, you will find, if he finds or he or she finds that the reaction of the voters is negative to his way of speaking, of attacking opponents, he'll tone things down. What can the media do? What the media should do is to make sure that everyone has access. Everyone has access. You'll be damned if the people who are the perpetrators of the violence, are the people who control the funds or the people in power, then it becomes more difficult. Because media houses are also commercial houses. But if others do not have access, either because of funds or whatever, to these commercial houses, to talk about the other side, then that's one. And the media should also call out any such incidents. I don't know. We have you here. So before you go, you are the spokesperson for the NMPP presidential candidate. How is he doing, how are the campaigns going? Importantly, there was this talk of Rabu Musa Kwankwazou, engineer Rabu Musa Kwankwazou, stepping down for some kind of... Okay, let me just say quickly, for the umpteenth time, Rabu Kwankwazou is not stepping down. He's contesting this election till the 25th of February. If there's a run-off after that, and he comes in first or second, he's part of the run-off, we will contest it. He's saying no need for a merger? Look, the time has gone for a merger. I mean, we still have some time. No, no, no, no. When we say merger, in the sense that the time for a merger by INEC is gone. But when you talk about cooperation, the time is still there. It could happen anytime. Coalition coming maybe. But, as I said, we do not intend to. We have not. The only time we sat down was when we were approached by the Labour Party. They approached us. It didn't work out. And he's been working, his way of campaigning has been totally different. We only just started rallies recently. He's been working at the grassroots. He's been to way over 400 local governments. So he has no need. But we have to go now. And one will begin to think that if he's not going to step down, then there might just be some form of cooperation. That doesn't need any legal. We're willing to have someone cooperate with us. We don't. We have to cooperate with someone. We have to go. Thank you so much. I mean, Ladi Paul Johnson, it's been great speaking with you. But we have been about the issue of elections and, you know, the kind of politics that we practice. Some people would describe it as the Machiavellian kind of politics. And we want to access what it is. It doesn't matter how you get it, but as long as you get it. And that's also a reflection of what you believe. You begin to become what you believe. Let's do better. Let the campaigns be issue-based. That's what we're asking. We're bothered with as a country. I mean, a lot of issues that were faced. Let's, you know, pay attention to those issues. And let's not begin to engage in, you know, violence and name-calling and all that. That's it this morning on the show. If you miss out on any part of the conversation, it would be great for you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And do subscribe to our YouTube channel at Plus TV Africa and Plus TV Africa Lifestyle. My name is Messi Boko. And my name is Kofi Bartels. We'll be back tomorrow, same time of the program and have yourself a lovely day.