 A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Ainek Professor Atahiro Mohamed Jega, has urged Nigerians not to vote for the ruling All Progressive Congress, the APC, and the People's Democratic Party, PDP, henceforth. He cited their alleged failure to bring the desired growth and development in Nigeria within the past 20 years, arding that it was high time Nigerians look for a credible alternative. The University of Don also stated that he has joined the People's Redemption Party, PRP, to look for ways to help Nigeria. Well joining us to discuss this is Open Abo, Incotara, a former special advisor on media and publicity to the Governor of the River State, Gnasium Wike, and Tanko Yunusa, who is the national chairman of the National Consent, Consent Party, NCP. Thank you very much gentlemen for joining us. Great. I'm going to start with you, Mr. Yunusa, because you obviously are not a member of the PDP nor the APC. And Professor Atahiro Jega used to be the man that was in charge of our elections and today he's talking about steering the ship in a different direction. Is this a case of just like the APC has responded saying that he's trying to float a political party or trying to push his political ambitions? Is this a man who's trying to push his own personal political ambitions or is he stating facts? No, I don't think it's about personal promotion of his own factors as a person. Professor Jega as a person anywhere, any day, is a product to be used for any political purpose in this country. That one is not in doubt. So if you want to anywhere he can go to, he can become, he will be a very, very tool for the development of the country. But the truth about it is that the way in which Nigeria is being run by the existing political party has made everybody to start wondering if truly the democratic system that we want is in practice accordingly. Remember for a very long time a lot of us have been complaining about how whoever finds himself or herself in position of power use the apparatus of safe resources to emasculate all others. Truly speaking it's not about the PDP or APC but what we've seen so far is that any political party, except of course if it's actually ideologically entrenched on the ground, is much easier for those on board. Any other political party tries to emasculate every other person. I mean take a look at the recent most annoying situation that we find ourselves is when we are talking about transmission of electoral voting systems. To transmit these electoral voting systems very simple. The people in the house belonging to both political parties are planning down on it. The majority of them are only interested in their own political parties, how they take advantage of it against others. That makes it not serious into everybody. And so the leadership so far has left a lot of scene on answer for. And so it's not the guy that is only calling for this particular situation. A lot of Nandinians are disenchanted, they are dismayed, they are totally dissolutioned and the system has not provided enough room for all other political parties to triumph and then make their goals and achievements. Because if we have opportunities for all other political parties to have one election in this country, who would have had a robust electoral system, for rather one person will move from one political party this morning, the next evening is another political party and you will be allowed to run another political party platform. That is reasonable offense against the people that he runs election again. So really for us we think it is time for the electorate to start looking elsewhere so that we can have a more acceptable democratic system in our country. Okay. Let me come to you Opponabe. It's interesting to have this conversation because the PDP and the APC seem to be the biggest parties in Nigeria and the who's who all belong to these both sides of the divide. But then just like Unita has said, the smaller parties have the short end of the stick and sometimes don't even smell the cake, not to talk of eating it. And one would say if Professor Jega is going to a smaller political party, does it mean that the people who also are in those political parties are on the streets and narrow really why should they be an option for Nigerians if there's a particular saying that politics in Nigeria is a dirty game whether you belong to the big party or the small party. Is it about political parties or is it about us changing as human beings as Nigerians for the best? Well the truth is it has to do with the individuality because the party is populated by individuality. And unfortunately a lot of us, I say a lot of us because we're all politicians, a lot of us have this much understanding. We don't really appreciate what politics is all about. That politics is all about to say, but we'll go there for gastric reasons, we'll go there for selfish reasons or for central reasons. And that is why we are where we have to debate. Like Dr Edwin said, how can any sensible man talk of the advanced electronic transmission of resolve? And more so because they are angry, they are in the horrors to perpetuate themselves in office, they forgot to realize that they must talk of all our methods of 278 before you even talk, because whatever amendments you do, whatever electoral act you come up with will not lie unless that is amended because every other law is puny, is inferior to the provisions of the Constitution, to the extent of being consistent. So these are the kind of characters we have in office and so it has nothing really to do with the political parties it has to do with the individual. I will say that most political parties in the country don't have ideology. Most political parties are not formed out of quotas or are formed as string boards. Let me point out that I don't have the chance in this political party, therefore I can go ahead and form another political party where there is likelihood of bringing to my dreams to function. And this makes me always pop the question of, I mean really what are the ideologies of our political parties because the truth is none of our political parties have ideologies. I thought that I said most of them don't have ideologies. They form these parties, I will just give you the reason, they form these parties because there are a lot of challenges in the bigger parties, or they form these parties because they see that as a string board or as a negotiation body. That is why most people form this political party. Very few form political parties with the interest of the people like that. Very few. And in most cases, unfortunately in this country, they don't get on my journey. There is the kind of country we live in. They just, they found out, but the judge will do some more. So most of these political parties, these bigger political parties already have this money because they have been in office and they have stolen more than enough. So they have the money and they make it almost impossible for these other political parties to take over. That is why you have a lot of practices conflicting to form the APC because it is difficult for any party to house the PDP. The PDP are really in office, they are at much, much worse. They have their tentacles, they have a class. So the parties have to come, they have to now to form the APC. But the question is, is the APC different from the PDP? It's an old wine in the new YSC. There is no difference. Most APC members were PDP members. Some of the PDP members were APC members. Some CPC members. So there is actually no difference because you cannot decrease what you do not have. And most of that is, look at how do you defend a governor? Almost from a party, political party to another party, to another political party. How do you use a governor? So whatever dividend of democracy that is expected to trickle down is responsible. It is duty to ensure that it trickles down. Now he is glib with it because he has started the second term and he wants to go for presidential and future. Or you don't know, he wants to have a citizen and future. And he believes that the party in office is only in the party. If your party is going to be the easiest, it is very much for him to get it. So most of these are politicians and the rest of them, they are only in office, just for selfish reasons. Okay. Because we're almost out of time, Mr. Unicef, one last question, you just help me answer it quickly in a sentence. We saw, I don't know if you heard the reports, there's been serious voter apathy and we saw that in 2019. We saw a level of voter apathy. But what we have seen in the Lagos and the local government elections is the worst that we have ever seen. It's the lowest of lows. And we're complaining about 2023 and what would happen. What's the guarantee that Nigerians are even interested in the politics of Nigeria anymore? I mean, we seem to have lost trust in the electoral process and the people that, you know, the system throws up. So even if Jai Guy is asking us to look elsewhere, where do we muster that trust from again, you know, as we head to 2023 quickly? Exactly. We need to get the fundamental right. Remember in 2019, we have registered voters according to our committer. We have 88 million people registered, only 30 million registered voters. So what you saw in Lagos and that of, it's a replica of the fact that people lost trust in the process. The only way we can get the trust of the people back is making sure that the laws show that they can get their votes credibly well, i.e., making sure that whenever they vote, that they are sure that their vote counts. Whenever they vote, they are sure that when it counts the vote, it is equal to the people's vote that they see, just like what we are talking about, the electronic transmission of voting. We also want, we all want to be sure that the person that they voted for is the right candidate that demands. That's when we start building trust in the system. All right. We have to go, gentlemen. I want to thank you very much. Thank you for being part of the conversation. We are out of time. Okay. God bless you and God bless you. All right. Well, thank you all for being part of the conversation. We'll quickly take a look at what Nigerians have to say about their voting selections come 2023. And I want to thank you all for being part of the show. I'll see you tomorrow. I prefer PDP in the 2023 election. I don't really partake in any party by PDP or APC because the way I see in this country, but everything has turned upside down. It's not even all about the vote, the party and voting for whatever. I believe it's just human citizens. The way they are doing things is not really proper. But I'm tired of Nigeria. I've never done it. Even if any of my relations contest, I will not vote. I've never voted and I will not vote as far as the way politicians are being run in this country presently. So I'm not going to vote for anybody. See, the thing is, there's no need to waste your time in whether you want to vote for PDP or APC. See, it's just this party is just like one simple thing, like PDP first as an apple. And the individuals that ate that apple went back to APC because APC said we have a new apple. So they went to finish APC apple, now PDP has bought another new apple. So the APC guy is now going back to PDP to start the new apple that they have. See, the thing is, if the electoral, what do I call it? The electoral bill, if it's not being passed for them to send electoral results electronically, forget it. Voting is as useless as anything. Any youth that will be going out to vote is wasting its time. I'll prefer a neutral party if there is. I don't want either APC or PDP.