 NNPP Labour Party plan a merger for Peter Albi and Kwan Kwan Suu presidential ticket. And we take a closer look at Kingsley-Mogaloo's political future ahead of 2023's elections. Well this is plus politics, I am very anarcho. We begin tonight with the Akiti State elections which took place during the weekend with the all-progressive congress APC candidate Björn Uyebanji emerging, the Wiener. Now the APC scored about 187,057 votes to defeat its closest rival, the SDP, which garnered 82,211 votes. The PDP which got 67,457 votes and 13 other parties also participated in that election. Now the SDP gubernatorial candidate, former governor Shagoni, has rejected the outcome of the election and has asked political parties who contested to join hands with him to develop the state. Well, let's head to our first conversation for tonight. Now the NNPP has disclosed that there is an ongoing discussion with the Labour Party on a merger, yes, in 2023 for the elections while Peter Albi of the Labour Party is yet to publicly speak on that merger, Kwonko so said the Labour Party and the new Nigeria's People's Party will have an advantage in the next election if an agreement can be reached. Already the NNPP has a growing membership base in the north. Prominent members of the movement who have registered with the NNPP include the former minister of youth and sports Solomon Dalong, the President and President Bahá'í was in strange right-hand man Buber Galadima. Now former governor Albi who recently defected from the PDP and joined the Labour Party has appealed to a large youth following in the southern part of Nigeria. Joining us to break this down and of course discuss this is engineer Moussa Idris, he's a political affairs analyst and also joining us later on in the conversation is Dikbok Olajuku, he is a journalist. Thank you so much Mr. Idris for joining us. Yeah, thank you very much. Let's start by looking at some of the conversation around this merger. Some people have said that this merger is some source of mirage, it might not necessarily be reached and others seem to be tight lipped as if they know something that we do not know but share your thoughts with us as to what you think of it. Yeah, quite interesting. I probably would have said that it's a mirage really. You see, I have thought that the calibre of Konkuso and Peter Obie in their own rights, they are very good politicians, they are well known within their very own domain and unfortunately for them, they are coming at the right at the wrong time, Peter Obie know that from the one, he may probably not pair up with Artiku Abu Bakar who just picked the ticket out of a PDP and Konkuso himself, like we all know, we know when he pulled out of the arrangement with PDP and then APC and now he is in NNPP. I am not saying that a merger is not possible but as it is now, I want to use a word that has already been going on within the media domain, they are a spoiler, they are probably not going to take a straight ticket and then maybe win the kind of election that is being practiced in Nigeria. I don't see Peter Obie getting all the Igbo votes that if it were and then eventually he takes the ticket to measure with Konkuso, like with Konkuso, he can probably not take all the votes within the nuts and then begin to win. So these votes are probably going to be split among all the various contenders as it is now. So it simply means that they may not get a sole win to begin to say yes, they are a merger, the fusion can actually give them the victory. This cannot happen. What we can probably look like at the end of the day, they will share the vital Northern votes and probably some splitter of Igbo votes. Some papers are circulating that Igbo has over nine million within the North West. We disputed some of these figures. If that is what they are saying, that all the Igbo's are probably going to give Peter Obie their votes, they may not give him this election. So this is what we are looking at. So if, for instance, before this primary stuff came up, they had decided to come together and they believed their ideologies are the same. As it is now, we don't even know whether they can flock together. Do they have the same ideology? What do they want to measure? What are they trying to achieve? What are the political values at various levels? What do they, all of these, what are they trying to tell Nigeria's they are coming together? You see, these are some of the issues that need to be played out in the political domain before they begin to give them an edge in the kind of policies that we have in Nigeria today. So I don't see this measure coming up. Even when this measure do come up, I don't see them picking the victory. Rather, I see them as people are trying to spoil the issues for other bigger part of the problem where I want the election straight up. Great. Let me, we're being joined by Dipo Olayaku, who is of the NNPP, by the way. I think he's the national secretary for the NNPP. Mr Olayaku, as opposed to what Mr Idris is saying, we have heard the BBC House did carry the story that former Governor Kwan Kwan So was in talks with the Labour Party under Pitao B. And many are wondering how this measure would work, knowing that several people have said that it might be legally impossible to have that measure, or even if it were to be a measure that would form a political party too late in the day. But you are with the NNPP. What exactly, or where exactly is Mr Kwan Kwan So going with this idea? Thank you very much. Nice to be here. My dear ones, good evening. I don't think the His Excellency, Senator Ravi Musa Kwan Kwan Soeba, mentioned the word major, because from the look of things as we have it today, I think we have passed the level of major, because the individual political parties have submitted the names of the presidential candidates to INEC. That one was done between June 10th and June 17th, which was last week Friday. And then because the major will mean that either one or the both political parties will lose the identity for a new individual that will come up as it were, is one political party. But I think the issue of talks involving political parties is not only restricted to NNPP and Labour Party. The politicians across party lines are talking. And I think a court across the political divides. I think the essence now is that Nigeria needs to be rescued. We cannot continue the way we are today. And that is why some people feel there is a need for them to talk and see how they can form an alliance, because like I said, the issue of major is not there again, it's not there anymore either. I think that's exactly what the political parties are doing now. And it might interest you to know that it's not only the parties in the opposition that are talking, even parties in government, they are also talking, because you see, like we used to observe that when you have an election ahead of you, it's like a battle, so to speak, not where you exchange the fire, as they always say, but it's like a war. It requires some strategy. And that's why you can let us look at the war, the issue of war. Take America as an example. When America wanted to go into the Gulf War, it tried to build some alliances. So I think that is exactly what is happening now. The parties are not talking about major, because we are part of the level of major. The parties have submitted the names of their candidates, presidential and only made to the INEC. And then if you look at what happened in 1998, 1999, when AD and APP wanted to form something like a major, INEC told them that it's not possible. One of you has to drop his identity. And that is exactly what happened. They both came under AD 10. So could this be what the NMPP is considering, Mr? Could this be what the Labour Party and the NMPP and all the other people you say are in talks? Could this be what they're maybe angling for? And to what end? Because it's one thing to be in talks. It's another for the talks to yield something. So to what end are these talks being had? Yes, at this level the talk will be in form of alliance. Because don't forget that when you're talking about alliance, you're talking about your areas of strength and then your areas of weakness. And that's exactly what the parties are looking at. And we never can tell like I was able to listen to the completely part of my brother there. That perhaps some parties have always already looking ahead of the 2020 election that we might not get a winner at the first ballot. Knowing when you're going to a decision like this, you consider a lot of options. That's like when you're going to war. You look at options, excuse me, you look at options. So I think parties are looking at what happens before the 2020 election, what's happened during and then you never can tell what will happen after the 2020 election. But in everywhere where politics has been practiced, you are building new alliances. You are re-engineering. You are re-aligning. And that is what the core politics is. That is why your best enemy today might become your best friend tomorrow. And that is what you're going to have about politics. But what has most is the interest that you are going to protect. So I think that's exactly what people are talking about. We might not be looking at major, per se, because major is something that is behind us. We are looking at building alliances that will further the cause of democracy in Nigeria. My dear, nobody can claim to be happy with what's happening in Nigeria today. And if you are looking at it, let us come together to be able to update the hegemony of what has seemed to have kept itself entrained. I don't think that is too much in politics. That is what politics is all about. You are re-aligned. You will be engineered. The purpose is, how do you get your destination? I think that is exactly what is happening now. Like I said, it's not only restricted to NNPP and Labour. Other parties are also talking. You never can tell the government and the Alliance before the 2020 election that will make for a more united force to be able to cross the 2020 election effectively in the interest of Nigeria and the interest of Nigerians. It makes me question, back to you, Mr. Idris. It makes me question. You talked about the fact that some of these people are, in your words, spoilers for the elections. And they might cause a lot of split votes, talking especially about the Kwan-Kawsoi and a Pitalbi. So, do you, I mean, a lot of pundits have also, you know, out of curiosity and started strategizing and, you know, pre-empting what the elections would look like. Some have even said that there might be a run-off elections because of some of these split votes in different regions in the country. Normally, one would eye the big states for the numbers to at least hit that 25% mark. But with this, what do you see happening in 2023? And like Mr. Layaku has said, this might just be something that would upstage the two major political parties come 2023. But what's your postulation? Yeah, a lot to be discussed here really. I like the fact that my uncle here said it so simply when he didn't see a possibility for any major now. He's rather late in the day. I had said it earlier that what were they doing if they had wanted to fuse together when they allowed the primaries to take place and then they never thought of major and all of that. They're all big weeks as it is today. They have their various, you know, political caliber that they can deploy at various levels. But you see, I use the word spoiler because like you rightly said, there could be some runoff that is if they go ahead to contest as they are doing currently. These votes are going to be split. I can tell you that we may have a split in Cano. Igbo, we want to vote for Abgari for Obie, which is of course the deliver party now. While Konkoso that we know, he had this court like followers in Cano. There is what they call a Goma Goma is our local palace. Konkoso has a way he runs his political activities. If there are about all the votes, all the polling units in Cano, Konkoso has at least 10 persons that he maintains within that domain. We simply means that he can easily deploy several thousands of his people within that locality of Cano. That simply means that the A&P, the APC votes, the PDP votes, the deliver party votes, and the his own vote, any people. These votes are going to be split in Cano. That simply means that all these virus presidential candidates are going to split votes among themselves. This may likely happen in the Igbo areas where that the south is specifically. Where it will be is going to hold forth. And then we're also going to have in the Yoruba area as well of course the APC is going to hold swing. And then these votes are going to, in that manner, be shared among these, at least as it is now, those four political parties which are at the current weights. But if you look at it politically, the way to look first, look at it, I do not see them at the end of the day delivering those key votes. That are going to have, because people are, especially people in the north, they will be looking at those tickets. They will actually deliver what, what, what, what they are looking for. That is the winning votes. As in A&P, the A&P and the PDP are those parties that are probably going to have chunk of the votes. And that is where the winner is going to hold forth. Then you now begin to look at the winning votes. What are those factors that will give them those key votes that we can decide with the winning ticket. The religion is going to play, play, play, play so there. And we are going to have A&P City also play so there. So these are the things that are going to come to play. And I must tell you that, if you are saying the religion is going to play so, people will not think people will be interoconing in the north because of its past utterances and all of that. And then you, of course, you know what is happening currently in Igbo Land with our people in the, in the south-east. And of course the way they are going to believe in peace with in the north-east. So which simply means that there is no north-eastern there is going to consider it will be for one vote. So you're telling me that we're going to have, sorry, I'm so sorry to talk over you to Idris. So you're telling me that we're going to see a lot of people voting across ethnic lines as opposed to looking for a politician that would necessarily bring the kind of change that we're looking for. Instead, we're just going to vote for whoever looks like us or sounds like us and is most acceptable to us. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You see, because I, you know, people have a voting pattern. Most of the vote of the votes is certainly going to come from the north-west where most of the votes are going to come from. And then Konkoso is a contender, a very strong contender. Konkoso has a for local governments. So I want a lot of votes coming up from that place. And Konkoso here, you can see them, the red cap, they don the red cap and they move like cut light. You know, going straight for whoever, Konkoso don their tickets. So as it is now, it's going to be Konkoso all the way in Kanu. And some splinter votes that are going to come from AMPP and then, and of course, PDP. So it's going to go that way. But most of the, the block votes that are going to come to other parties are going to come from the south-west. Of course, you know, it's going to be very strong there. And then you're going to have the north-east, which is for, you know, Attiku, but it's going to hold somewhere there. So the north-west votes, which of course is going to be the deciding votes, is going to be among those three political parties. The Incompensive Factor, the Buhari Factor in the north-west is going to play out. So Attiku, like Walno, is the most highly, most outstanding Konkoso figure in Nigeria today. Which of course, you know how he built his bridges. You see how he emerged in the Geoconglade primaries, where he knocked down a wiki. And then of course, where he would traverse the ends of this country. And he pulled out that ticket. So all this is my worry. That is why I say that the Konkoso and Pito B, they are spoilers. I think they would rather just stay out of this election and allow this country to be. Because these votes are not going to count as to begin to give them the necessary relevance that they are talking of. But if they have done this, like I said earlier, of course I just told you that my uncle here, I said it so simply when he was talking of, this did not even materialize it. What we are probably going to have now, is some kind of alliances. If my uncle is talking of alliances, what does he mean? Does he mean that Pito B is going to say on the voting day, oh, go and vote for NMPP, or is Konkoso going to say on the voting day, oh, go and vote for a Labour Party. Is that the kind of alliance they are talking? So I don't understand all of this. So these two kind of political ways that they are talking of the Labour Party and then the Konkoso led by the NMPP. I don't see them as bringing a deciding vote here. The deciding vote is going to come from PDP and then an NMPP. But at the end of the day, they are going to be the deciding winning vote. But as they come by, we will be able to analyze properly and begin to mention where the victory is going to come from in the district. All right. Mr Laegu, I'm sure that you have loads to respond to this because I also have questions. I have loads of questions. Because the moment you talked about talks and alliances, I'm wondering who's going to collapse, whose structure into whose. Because that's the other thing, is the Labour Party going to say, okay, well, we're opening our doors. Let's collapse the NMPP into the Labour Party or what's going to happen. And those are the questions that he's posing. He's also made it clear from his position that Nigerians will only be voting in 2023 along ethnic lines. And for all of the voter education and the conversations that people have been having and go get your voters card, does it mean that Nigerians are not necessarily listening or is it that maybe we prefer to continue the way we are as opposed to getting the kinds of results that we want to get? Because I'm wondering, why should we be voting along ethnic and religious lines? Yes, thank you. It's like, let me use the word. The talk about talks seems to be dominating the political discourse. But as a political party, that one is not on the front burner for us as we go along. Because our media focus now is how do we meet up with the ethnic deadline regarding the submission of the data of our candidates. Like I said earlier, we have been able to scale the appeal of the... That's the first appeal, which is national... The president has been strongly made as well as members of the National Assembly. I think our media focus now is how do we scale the appeal of submitting the list of our candidates for the governorship, their deputies and then the houses of assembly. I think that is the media focus as we have today. By June 2015, we were able to put that behind us. Then we'll be looking at the window for submission and stuff like that. So to us, the issue of talks is not actually our main focus now. But let me tell you one thing. The 2023 elections might be different slightly from the election we have been witnessing in the past. I could agree with my brother there that some sentiments will see play out like religious sentiment, religious sentiment, or the ethnic sentiment and some other sentiments, promote your sentiment. But at the same time, Nigerians will now be asking themselves how was my life, my living standard in 2015 when PPC took over. In 1999, when PDP took over. To some extent, these issues are going to play a prominent role. Yes, we might have some religious sentiment by ethnic sentiment, but Nigerians are going to ask them. So that is where the 2020 election might be slightly different. And that is where I think I depart from my brother who believes that the NNPP and the Labour Party will be actually going to act the spoiler. No, rather, the problem is the issue of 2023 is between Nigerians and the so-called big parties. It is not between the so-called spoilers as my brother will say. It is between Nigerians and them. We have had experience, political experience. This discussion has given us 24 years of experience, since under PDP, age under ABC. Nigerians are going to interrogate this aspect. My life has improved. It is not a case of going from fire to cry fan. And that is what is going to be the major determinant as we go into the election. It is not about PPP. It is not about PDP. It is about what they have been able to rock. They have thought they have been able to record Nigerians in the past 24 years. I think that one is going to play a very prominent role. It might not be that who announced that maybe by the time we get to 2027. But the most important aspect of the campaign, because campaigns have not started. We don't know what everybody has in this room. We have a couple that will be the campaign choose. But by the time the campaign starts, then we will begin to ask Nigerians what do they expect as from 2023? Do they want to continue in this era? Where does it cost about $300 per liter? Will Nigerians want to continue like that? Where did the dollar exchange for close to $690 per dollar? So those are the issues. It is not about a party playing the spoiler, a party, getting the determining victory vote. It is an aspect of Nigerians asking themselves some questions as we go into 2023. Because Nigerians themselves, they are no fools. And Nigerians who begin to ask the police, that's when they even come out to campaign. We have been seeing instances of what is happening. We are even some members of assembly. Members of the Senate cannot even go to their villages. People are turning them back. I think we shouldn't get to the station where we provoke Nigerians to go ahead of this. So I think it's better we just allow the thing to come seamlessly without turning them around. So that Nigerians will not be asking, well, you have a member of House of Representatives that have been representing his consistency for years and wanting to go home. But people say you are not going to enter this place. Go back. Are you thinking that the 2020 election will be 2019 or 2015? I think the 2020 election is going to be like a shocker to a lot of people. And for the NNPP, like I said, our middle focus now is not about the talks. The talk is just about our ongoing thing. But our middle focus is how do we make sure we scale the huddle of our neck? Because don't forget that if you don't apply to detail of your candidates to write a quota, you don't have anything to campaign for. So that is why the most important thing for a political party now is how do we make sure that we even get a candidate recognized by our candidates in the first instance? Because it's only the high candidates that are able to upload their data into our next reporter that can become the real candidate in the election. So I think that is the most important thing. But by the time the campaign starts, by the time Nigerians are being asked the question, do you want to go ahead with this thing, or do you want to make it at all? So I think like my brother said, by the time we get to the bridge, we're going to cross it. But 2020 election might be different from what happened in 2019. I'm curious. I just want to ask a quick question because we're out of time. Let me just ask something to you. I'm going to come to you before we wrap up. Let me just post this question quickly too. I just want to make a point there before you ask the question. Yeah, Mr. Eliakul, I like that you're saying that Nigerians, you're going to, you'll have to ask these questions or that Nigerians will ask these questions. But my problem or my curiosity is how tired do you think Nigerians are? Because you also pointed out that you do not want to push Nigerians too much. But I mean, we hear this rhetoric every other campaign season. Oh, Nigerians are tired. Times are hard. Oh, the government has not done this and that. But we still see the same elections happen again and again. We still vote across those same lines. Nothing really changes. We've never really seen a revolutionary style election. And many have said that, oh, maybe 2023 might be that watershed moment. But then I sense that uncertainty even in the air, even from both of your conversations, that that might not be a thing. And you even mentioned 2027. So 2027 also turned into another year and we keep pushing it because maybe we're not tired enough. No, what I'm what I was trying to say was that I said, I think I'm talking. Go ahead. I was trying to say that when I use the word spoiler, what I mean is that I can I can I can tell you any day that the APC and the PDP, they will get clear. They are they are they are 25% of the total of the of the of the of the of the six states, including FCC, that will be very clear. I don't see liberal party and getting to total of the 25% of those states are just pension. That is why I see that as spoiler. We certainly not get it. It is the case. It simply means that they're not going to go any far in terms of determining how they are going to win. So these two other parties may probably be talking of, you know, number of votes cast. That way, the deciding the deciding ticket is going to come from. All right. All right, Mr. Laioku, quickly, because we're almost out of time. Yes. Let me just take the last example. We know traditionalize used to be either APC or PDP or PDP APC. Who could have imagined that an SDP will come in between this and miss brothers. So that's just to let you know that things will change in 2023. It's not going to be business as usual. I cannot show you cannot see that. And by the time we get there, we've got a piece of our lives to be able to witness and they will know that things will definitely turn. Well, Musa Idris is a political affairs analyst is also an engineer and Dikbo Laioku is a journalist and he is the national secretary of the NNPP. Thank you so much gentlemen for being part of the conversation. We appreciate it. Thank you for having me. All right. Thank you all for staying with us. We'll take a short break now. When we come back, we'll be discussing Kingsley Mughaloo's political future and what happens come 2023. Stay with us.