 You're welcome back. There's still plus politics and my name is Nyam Ghul Aghgadji. As of the Saturday, March 18, date for the governorship and state assembly elections approach, political observers project that the seeming redrawing of Nigeria's electoral map, which began during the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections, could continue. That means the reign of some gladiators in some political parties and states will be determined at the polls. So, it is either they got their political kingdoms and win their turf or their parties or for their parties or they are dethroned. No two ways about that. There are 17 governorship candidates of the various political parties, but the major contenders are Senator Uba Sani of the ruling all-progressive Congress, APC, Ashiru Isar of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Jonathan Asake of Labour Party, LP, and Senator Suleiman Honkue of the New Nigeria People's Party. I'm talking about in Kaduna State. However, observers are of the opinion that the contest would be a two-horse race between Sani and Ashiru, that is APC and PDP. Sani is a serving senator representing Kaduna Central Central District and is the anointed candidate of the outgoing governor, El Rufai. El Rufai has been the governor of the state since 2015 under the APC, but under his reign, the APC lost three senatorial seats to the PDP at the National Assembly polls. The main opposition party also won 10 seats out of the 16 seats for the House of Representatives in the state. Against this backdrop, many see the Saturday governorship election in the state as both challenging and of course interesting, a battle to finish between El Rufai's APC candidate and the PDP. Four serious candidates are to slog it out during the March 18, 2023 poll to succeed Governor Nassir El Rufai of Kaduna State. In Kaduna State, the governorship election promises to be fierce and interesting, and we're being joined right now to discuss these by Comrade Issa Abdul Rahman, you'd advocate for good governance, Kaduna State. Good evening and welcome to the program Issa. Hello Issa, good evening and welcome to Plus Politics. Thank you very much. It's great meeting you guys. It's great being here. I'm sorry for the hate we do. I have a technical challenge right here. Coming from Zaria, you know, the little traffic because of the diversion. It's fine. Can we have a road, you know, so I have to park to catch up on the commitment because we take off the procedures and we have community concerns. It's fine. It's fine. Okay. Some people have said that even though there are four contenders, the major contenders are four. That is the APC, PDP, LP and NNPC. Some people still see it as a two-horse race. That is the battle is between the APC and the PDP. Is that the situation really in Kaduna State or these are just conjectures? Very clear. In fact, at some point, I believe the contest is between one party, which is the APC. You know, forget about the NNPC guys. They are just a, what should I call them? I mean, they are just a certain kind of destruction. The Labour Party over here, I don't even recognize them as the party. They are not doing anything to me. Okay, talking about PDP, we only see ourselves at the APC and maybe the second runner of the PDP. But for us, we feel like we have done too much enough to the good people of Kaduna State. We don't even see that. We don't have a position over here in Kaduna State. So of course, yes, people are right to say contested between APC and the PDP. I don't see how the parameters with which you are judging what you have done in the state as APC party because having lost 10 House of Representatives seats to PDP and having lost three Central Districts, which is the whole number to PDP is quite alarming to me if you ask me. So how much have you performed, not you, how much has APC performed that will make the people vote them out from those seats, 10 House of Representatives seats and three Senate seats? That is quite a number. You see, well, I don't know if you are a politician, but this is basic politics. And we are happy and glad that we have been able to run a government that has been very transparent. Within those Senatorial seats that you mentioned, some of the House of Representatives seats, it's not a big deal to us politically, it's part of our political competitions. But at least it tells you that we are running a very transparent government. We are running a very sincere government that is very straightforward. If you win, you win. And if you lose, you lose. But trust me, we are more than enough. We are better than them. We are not perfect. PDP has ruled the state for over six years. We have seen the days of MP. We have seen the days of MP. We have seen the days of Parti Kekua. We have seen the days of Ramallah. Now, look at the names I've mentioned to you. We are all PDP guys, right? Now, we have seen the days of Malam Nasr, and you can see what we have done so far. Be it in the education sector, be it healthcare sector, be it infrastructure-wise, be it public policy-wise, we are the best when it comes to that. We are doing better than them. We are better than them. So, no one or two states doesn't mean that we and the government of the state has failed. We have proven to be the best. We have done great. But it's the matter of personality and characters. Maybe, maybe, maybe, the people that those people are presenting have not done enough. But we are talking about organizational election right now, right? We are talking about House Assembly elections, right? Just wait and see. And you will be very shocked. Because we cannot be a candidate. It's even, it's even, I am, I'm, I'm, I'm disappointed by PDP to be able to present somebody who is the best candidate, who is the best candidate. There's somebody that has obligations. This is somebody that was sucked out of office at that time. Yeah, but we're, we're really talking about APC. We're concerned about APC and what they have done. We're not even really concerned about PDP. First of all, we know that at some point, Nasir El-Rufai, who is the governor of Kaduna State, more or less apologized to the people of Kaduna and said whatever mistakes he has made should not be visited on the candidate who is standing now, the governorship candidate, because the mistakes are his and it should not be visited on Sani, who is contesting. And then we are wondering how that is going to go down with the people because Nasir El-Rufai is the first person who started the Muslim-Muslim ticket. Now it has almost been like a tradition that Sani has also taken a Muslim for a running mate. And how do you say that someone who has not entered office should not be made to pay for the mistakes that the other person has done when he has started with the first foot showing that he's going to follow everything that his predecessor has done? Muslim-Muslim ticket is a very tourney issue in Kaduna State, knowing that it has some of the or one of the largest Christian communities in a state, in a northern state. So how do you think that is going to play out with this kind of ticket that is taking and Nasir El-Rufai apologizing to the people and begging them not to visit his own mistakes on the person who is coming and contesting for governorship? Well, first of all, I would like to start by the issue of the apology. The issue of the apology means that we know we are human beings and we are making one or two human errors. That tells you that we accept responsibility. We are a kind of government in Kaduna State. The APC government is a kind of government that makes decision based on data and sentiment. Of course, Malam Nasir El-Rufai along with women might make one or two mistakes. But before, Malam is not making any reference for any point to say that we have made mistakes here or there, but because we as a government are human beings believe that at certain point we are not perfect. Look, progress not perfection. For that reason, Malam is trying to tell the good people of Kaduna State that everything, every single good thing that Malam Nasir El-Rufai has achieved in Kaduna State is going to be consolidated by established Senate or by anybody. Look at the investment in Kaduna State. Look at the investors coming to Kaduna State. Look at the infrastructure in Kaduna State. We are talking about improving in those good aspects of the governance. Now, talking about religion, I don't like it when people bring religion into politics. It's very dangerous, especially in states like Kaduna. I've been forgotten in one way to have religious clashes in Kaduna State. Since when did we have that kind of thing? Now, and to ask you and other people that will bring the Muslim-Muslim ticket into question, I'm going to ask them a question. If you are going to Dubai, for example, from Kaduna State or from anywhere you are, when you get on board into that flight, by telling you by your ticket, maybe from Emirates airline, you get to the airport, you board in the plane, am I right? Right? So now, when you get on to that flight, do you normally used to ask about the pilot that is that pilot a Muslim or a Christian, or do you just bother about him being a professional pilot to take you to your destination? Secondly, we all get sick at one point or the other. Let's assume now my own wife is sick or maybe she's about to give birth and I take her to a hospital. When I'm taking her to a hospital, I might start going to look for a hospital that is a Muslim hospital or a Christian hospital or I'm to look for a hospital that is competent enough after getting in that hospital. Am I going to ask that? Okay. No, sorry. I'm looking for a Muslim doctor who would almost look after my wife. No. You look for somebody that is going to sort out the problem. And what we are saying is that the people we are presenting to Kaduna State people are competent enough to take care of the state. They have done it before. Look at Distinguished Senator Obersani. He is a first-time senator, but he is one of the best senators in the house. He is the senator with the highest bill passed. Look at Dr. Adiza Balare Bashabwa. She is coming from the southern part of the state. I mean, she has done so great. She has represented the women in the state so great. Ask Sarun. Look, we have tangible results. When we come to this 2023 election, right? I tell people, don't do anything. Don't ask for anything. Just ask them to show you their results and then we offer our own results. And then you compare and see who will perform well, who is not performing well. Okay, who is better than the other person? It's about progress, not perfection. Religion. Your religious life should be taken out of your social life. When you get to Yadbia Pado, when you get to the path, you don't ask about people's religion. When you get to football, when you get to sports, when you get to, you don't ask for your religion. Why are you asking for people's religion and political space? Look, don't allow politicians to put religion as a tool to destabilize this country or this state. Look at a developed country like America. Look at developed countries like Yogi. Nobody is even doing it. Religion is totally supposed to be separated from political life. Please, when you are about politics, ask them. Ask your representatives. Ask your candidates. What have you done? Show us your results. Who are you? What are your antecedents? We don't want people to come and tell us you'll be supporting us. Okay, well, I'm not, I'm not in Kaduna. A lot of people who are grieved in Kaduna use this as one of the reasons they are aggrieved, because when Alpha Phi came, he said, he said, he said, heaven will not fall down. That's what he said. Right now, right now, are you with me? One of the other complaints that people are complaining in Kaduna state is that when the projects were distributed, the projects that you are seeing that National High Roof High has so graciously done in the state, they were not evenly distributed. What is your answer to that? Was that one of the reasons why I apologized? Yeah, yeah, but I am happy that you made it clear that you are not from Kaduna state. So whatever you hear is them see them see. Okay? I would like to invite you to Kaduna state. I will take you around. I will show you all our projects and the northern part. In a government convoy, I will be very safe. So that is the issue. Hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm going to start by this. The first thing we did in the first day in Hawaii is Malam Nasir Arafahim was being able to reform the civil service. I'm very sure you are aware of that. 2019, we sucked the uncompetent and incompetent teachers and irrespective of their region or their religion or their beliefs or whatever, we sucked the incompetent teachers and election year. A lot of people promised us that we are not going to make it election. We are not going to vote it, but the governor refused to be to be dated. He refused to be threatened. He did the right thing for the right decision because we make decision a bit later. That is the first reform. When you reform the civil service of the place, you reform the entire state. When you build people, you build the entire state. Please look at the civil service of Kaduna state. Look at the civil service commission. It is guided by the federal character commission. We have equal rights and equal opportunities. Politicians are paying people to be sharing sentiments on social media and different media platforms, and people are being carried away by them. I don't believe in that, what you said, that people are agitating for, because I am currently coming from a very local part of the local government. I was somewhere in Malay yesterday, and I'm going as far as inshallah tonight. And by tomorrow, we are going to keep going to somewhere like Kauratku, along Abu Dhaqabinan. Look, our works are everywhere, but you have to start from somewhere to get someone. You cannot tell me that you are building a road, and you start from maybe your own, the next road to your house. No, you have to start from the access road that brings to the state. You have to start from somewhere, which will link to someone. Al-Yumakaman Road, the pan drive road, it's all part of the Southern Kaduna. Look at the bridges over here. Go and look at the cementation markets that are being built. We have very blue. We are in modern markets, irrespective of zone, religion, wars, or what have you. We are building people. Look at the cabinet. Just before we wrap up, because this is a very serious... Just before we wrap up, because we're running out of time, Issa, we're running out of time, how would you rate the security in Kaduna, especially in Kaduna South? I know you are saying that you are going to a remote village and all that, but how would you rate the security in Kaduna South? Because we have reporters on the ground. Well, currently, I can say we are not satisfied with it, but we can say we are better. And security matter is a very complex matter. I would not like to go deep into that, because it's a very sensitive matter. But I can assure you that we are better in previous government. And I can assure you that politics is at play. And I can assure you we are doing great. And we are doing great. I'm at the grace of all my people. I'm going to refer you to the 90s, 1999, 2000, and the time... Look, there is somewhere called Zombo Cataclysm in Kaduna State. Everyone knows the challenge of security and religious clashes and academic clashes in Kaduna. The security issue in Kaduna State is an old issue. The farmers' hardest clashes are always in there, in Kaduna, and it has always been an ethnic whatever. But by the grace of God, when National RFA came to power, we have been able to pass the white paper, and we have been doing a lot on that. It's not enough. It's never enough. And we promise the good people of Kaduna State that we are on top of that matter, and we are doing even much more. I can assure you that the good people of Kaduna State can testify that today we have massive improvement in security. And by the grace of God, when they trust us with their mandate again, we are going to solve that problem once and for all. Security matter is not a matter of collect. It's a matter of turn and do. And I can assure you that we are doing all we can to solve that once and for all. And it's not a one-way job. We are not magicians. We are human beings. And trust me, we are doing our very best, and we'll keep doing it. We'll never get tired of selling the good people. All we ask for is for them to trust us with the mandate. And both for this too. Is that thank you. Thank you so much. Saturday is here. Today is Thursday. Tomorrow Friday. And Saturday will come upon us. May the best man win in Kaduna State. Only power comes from God, as they say. Power comes from above. So may the best man win. Thank you very much. We've been talking with comrade Issa Abdu Rahman. You'd advocate for good governance in Kaduna State. And he's telling us the situation in Kaduna, though he's confident that the party he aligns with might win. But there are four contenders according to experts, political experts that are watching the state. And the races between APC, PDP at the top most. And then we also have NNPP and LP for people contending or contesting for the position of governor. Who is going to replace Nassir El-Rufai? Saturday will tell. And we hope that INEC will do their own part as well and give confidence to Nigerians. That's how it's been on the show for tonight. My name is Nyam Gul. On behalf of the entire team, I say have a good night. Let's do it again tomorrow. Bye.