 Hello and welcome to the run-up. My name is Nyam Ghul Aghaji. Today we'll be looking at reactions from town hall meeting that was held recently and Tinobu's absence. I'm talking about the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress. Meanwhile, Tikua Bubaka for PDP OB for Labour Party and Concosso for NNPP attended. The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Voila Tinobu, once again stayed away from the town hall meeting. This is organized for presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 elections on Sunday. Mr Tinobu, through his presidential campaign council on Saturday in a statement indicated that he wouldn't be attending any debate organized by the TV station whom he accused of being biased against him. In fact, in one statement he said that the TV station or some people wanted to use him to make money, so he would not attend. He also asked his supporters and spokespersons to boycott the TV station. However, like I said earlier, the three candidates at Tikua Bubaka of the People's Democratic Party, Peter OB of the Labour Party and Rabiu Concosso of the NNPP were present. And right away we're going to let our guest in who is joining us right now to discuss this with us. We're talking with Otumba Shegun Shoumi. He is a spokesperson for the Tikua Bubaka campaign and also the governorship candidate of Ogun State PDP. Welcome to the program, Otumba. Adjust that slightly. I'm spokesman for his Excellency at Tikua Bubaka. Not the campaign, just a spokesperson for Tikua Bubaka. Okay, good. Well, you can play the role in both places because wherever you go. I want to put money in 2019. I spoke that campaign to life. Okay. Anyway, so let's go straight to the point that we're trying to discuss right now. There was this town hall meeting which your principal attended and one other person, okay, the candidate for the All Progressive Congress did not attend. Before we go into why and whether it is good or bad, what are your takeaways from that discussion that was held on Sunday? It was in 1960 in America that the first televised presidential campaign of the debates of that nature took place. If I get my facts right, it was Jeff Kennedy and Nixon and it entered ushered mankind into another era where a certain style had become the practice. Why do people even bother to attend? They bother to attend because they answer questions, they become the show that they are relatable. Sometimes they just be there in some kind of, I'm asking for a job. I'm willing to do a job interview and all that. So when aspirants are invited, it's never easy for any one of them because it doesn't matter the best of their preparation. They don't even know what kind of one that is taboo, one that is belly, irritating, somewhat kind of question that can be turned up. But they show up out of respect for the people they want to serve. When the presidential candidate of the APC and his handlers started writing all sorts of funny press releases claiming that because they are so busy they wouldn't know which one to attend or that they're not going to even attend at all or some people want to blackmail them and all of those in windows. At first you try to empathize with them that could they be truly that busy, which I know that everybody is. But then when they now, you know, not willing to answer questions at home, begin to now go to a lot of locations abroad. Some of those locations with their fancy name, they're not any better than some of our own institutes here who can also organize the basic desire. You then see that those of colonial mentality or the need for validation from Europeans may not be the best to reflect an African society that has been in existence for all of years. We may have had our issues as colonization and all of that, but now we're in democracy. We must be able to begin to slowly but gradually put aside those that we have become matured and that Africa, that by inference Nigeria will find its way. What am I taking with? I like the fact that they were civil among themselves. I like the fact that they answered the question as much as, you know, they could. I like the fact that it was not a chorus home environment where they were tearing at each other. And I like the fact that none of them was rude or coming across as too big. As I was done in the country where the debate was taking place, but I watched it online. As I worked at the base, I kept saying to myself, wow, this is some kind of guy because by any state of imagination, given what he has done and how far he had been at it, in 1999 was Vice President. And as Vice President in our country, that's number two. Every other person there, some of them were not even governors in 1999. The main rival, which is Balatimibu, was the first among 36. So if article haven't been coming out all the time, dealing with these questions, answering them can still find the wheel, the courage, the patience and the kind of to present themselves again. You have to say that then nobody else has an excuse on the subject matter because you can't call a governor of the state a subject matter expert on the nation Nigeria in terms of governors. Reason being that as a governor of the state, you are managing mostly a diverse, similar set of people, almost having the same ideology, but a little bit. Maybe the only differentiation you have at the state is maybe religion. In some locations, the religion is almost 100% or large percentage more religion. But when you are the Vice President of a country like Nigeria, you are going to be dealing with some policy decisions and some great areas that is not exactly wrong. It's just not well suited for the entire whole. And you know, what you do in the north, you may need to think out with it in the south. What you have to do in the south, you may need to think out with it somewhere else. You know what I'm saying? So I thought that article was the one that was a subject matter expert since he's been campaigning for president longer than any one of them. I thought that article is the subject matter expert since he's been involved in governors at that high level and I didn't see why others should not come. So I think he carried himself well. He tried to not be too, you know, grandiose in their midst. It could have been. And he didn't want to be too, he didn't want to be too powerful. There are a lot of people who will argue. I know that Mr. Fumisho Babarinde is also standing by. But let me just chip in this. It depends on which side that you are standing. There are a lot of people who would say that posterity remembers of Basanjot, not Attiku, because no matter what you do, no matter how good you are, you are only as good as your principal that lets you become what you are. So if you're talking about him being the person who has been involved at the highest level of governance, people will still say that he was playing second fiddle, no matter how we see it. But you have other people, the Kwankwaso administration in his state, the Ubi administration in his state, the Tinobu administration in his state and these people were at the helm of affairs and took the decisions and were responsible for the good or the bad in their various states. So why do you think it's very justifiable to say that Attiku Abu Bakar was the most highly placed? Okay, I'll tell you. Before you even go to the Tinobu and Kuw, even trying to be governors, Attiku had been a presidential candidate in 1992. And one of the things you will realize when you're running for president is that the language, the diversity of the country is so different and therefore you are a little bit more aimed at. That's some experience they can't even share. Abiola was their leader. Attiku was a co-combatant in Abiola. That's some experience. When they went into opposition work to try and get us democracy, the vast majority of them, maybe minus, Bola Tinobu were busy, not even knowing what they were doing, they were doing business. Attiku was there fighting opposition work. So you already understand the problem of exile, the management of governmental power and the what it can do, that's exactly what I have. Then when they got to 1999, Attiku won the governorship elections just like Bola Tinobu won. He was only lucky to have been called vice president. And by being vice president, he sits in a bigger bandit position to look at the country outside not just one zone. So if some of them were governors, I'm not begrudging them that we celebrate the little contribution they've had, but I tell you again, we have the office of a vice president in the manner in our country that also has some personal responsibility. Those personal responsibility, for instance, in terms of the economy, I should have this vice president today. If you have an opportunity of interviewing him, he will let you know there are some smart ideas that if they want to run it, by the time they bring it back to something that is as large as the federal executive council with this diversity, then the peculiarity of areas who come in, the allocation of resources are much more stringent. The federal character rules are different. These are all balancing acts. The management of the app policies is, oh, forget it. I am not saying that others cannot develop over time or merge, but I'm telling you very sincerely that the elephant, the big man in that room, the one that has the greater level of experience of this. I took out the writing policy even for campaigns since 1992, but the time he got to 1999, he wrote one. By the time he got to 2003, he wrote another. By the time he got to 2007, he wrote another. By the time he got to 1990, 2019, he wrote another. Now he has, so I'm trying to show you that this is not somebody who is just coming out on the first. It's like comparing Buhari with some other upcomers. Do you know how many times Buhari ran for president when he became president? All of these things creates bigger level of understanding and empathy, creates bigger understanding of what is going on. I don't know if that analogy will be, I don't know if that analogy will be good enough when you're using Buhari. That's the analogy I have. The experience of Buhari when he was campaigning. Do you think it has paid off that he's been campaigning all this time? Well, it has. I'm not his spokesperson, but I can tell you that it has. It has paid off in the sense that, you see, when you have not taken on a job, you actually think that that job is easy. It's easy for you to sit down and just mouth. I'm going to take care of security. Do you even know how to control troops? Do you even know how to give an instruction to an ampoules? Do you even know the kinds of things they bring to a president or vice president at that? Do you know the kind of issue that you have to contend with in the diplomatic environment, even just to buy weapons? Look, I'm not Buhari's spokesperson. I'm not in this budget. I'm in PDP, but I'm telling you the totality of the experience, and what it is about now. You learn more from failure than success. Some of these things are these people who have been doing it for so long have gone through. It has deepened their knowledge. Nobody wants to be president of a country in Nigeria without doing something. Without calling people, without meeting people, without building alliances. It is easy for someone who has not done anything close to that. We are going in an election year. And I believe that there is going to be a big And I believe that okay, maybe best man win. I think it should be a tickle Okay, but when we are done then we're going to ask ourselves if it has not moved up till now Okay, that's why it's second accept that is it that easy you have a lot of unemployment issue You're thinking that there's one tunnel view magic one. We are going to roll. It's not as simple as that Okay, let me know you can even roll out some of the successes and some of the great contributions Let me let me go to the environment. Let me go to Mr. Barbarinde. He's also waiting Well, he's the state coordinator at tickle support organization, you know soon state So let's just get to hear him to what he feels about that a town hall meeting briefly because we've taken a lot of time Just introducing it. So Mr. Fumiso Barbarinde Welcome to the program Thank you. Good morning. Yeah, so you watched the Good morning stone SS good morning, sir Okay, now now we have made it a brotherhood now, okay Well, you you listened or you watched the The town hall meeting I asked him I asked your colleague first before now that his takeaways from the Town hall meeting I'd like to have yours to very briefly before we go to other concerns Yes We walk up on that all meeting I showed Nigeria and that He's ready. That's one. Yeah, we've established that. Sorry. We've established that we from from Othumba, but we want to talk about I'm asking you as a Nigerian now someone who's been there and All four of them. How did what was your takeaway from the entire interview from the four of them for all From all of them that were present. Sorry one one Let me give you an example of what he said and that I can't omit. He said when he was the vice president He was in charge of local governments administration and he was releasing money directly to the local government from the federal account allocation until When the governor's protested what that implies is that he knows much more about administration and good governance From his experience as one number two. He talked about subsidy one of the problem. We have in this nation today Is the administration of the petroleum sector? He said the administration has been removing the subsidy. They're doing it in faces. I'm probably have done the second face You can imagine if that has continued today wouldn't be Rolling the same cycle of first scarcity of Q and what have you you understand now Atticua Baca has been consistent about the evolution of power All the while and I was taking these to the people. These are good take a wish These are things that should attract the Nigerians to him as somebody who is ready Okay, the nation forward. Okay, since since since you're Concentrating on talking about Atticua Baca and what you took away from that a town hall meeting Based on what he said Nigerians also have concern the closest person to Atticua Baca from 1999 to 2007 was the president that was his direct principal who has consistently said that Atticua Baca is not good enough because he is Very corrupt using his own words. So what's your defense now? What tell what gives you the confidence that when he comes what the president that he said on that said will not come to pass Well, if you're saying if you're saying somebody's corrupt, I Think PDP is one of the is the party that laid foundations for anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria for me No cuts in the land if you have any please bring it for no cut in the land has ever found a large Atticua Baca guilty of Any financial misappropriation or corruption charges if there's any please put me wrong gear on the to Nigerians You are serving the government and as of today I'm not aware that has been charged or has been convicted for any offense that has to do with infractions What is in the office or even as a private person either by a FCC I CPC or by any Niger local If there's any I mean, I mean, I'm not be aware. Please bring it on and if that should be the case I Took a backer while vice president is what is all that you put it one of the best hands for our passengers era He and once and he brought in technocrats who relieved me that go main thing who did who performed Excellent to and some of them are still in public. Yeah, even up to now. We have a former we have a present governor We have somebody at the at the World Bank. We have a lot of people they are out there We are was performed accidentally where even an African development bank who was indented by Atticua Wiley was vice president. So well All other candidates did well Those ones that have never showed up in power meetings have won one thing or that they want to contribute to Nigeria, but I'm more particular about his performance and them yes He talked to his manifesto on like some other people who are taking things in abstract Sorry to use that language for the other It's fine. It's fine. But the practical man you're talking about Atticua Buboka also did say and I give him that because he didn't lie about it that He has some he has some health needs that cannot be may not be The hospitals in Nigeria cannot help him and he might have to go out for medical Treatment every once in a while. So when he becomes a president It means that whatever we are saying now about the president president that he goes out for medical tourism Will have to continue or is there a plan to make sure that? He that can afford medical tourism to elsewhere can go but the ordinary man in the streets in Nigeria can also Afford healthcare because when he says that it seems as if there's The business of how and where people get their health Service for the generation of the articles and the buharis of this world in the bulletin will be inclusive is a function of the days that Nigerians and almost all Nigerians had enough resources And it was fashionable to have your doctors abroad in those days in the 70s and the early 80s Those of them who have already created medical records and they already have consultants who manage them from time to time And go for medical record medical checks Stop here. You cannot change the doctors of the people that are in their 70s or there about and start another History here It does not mean that they have not Invested in the primary healthcare system of this country and it does not mean that if and when They have to take some small procedure. It's not here for your information articles personal position is an evil man of the name Doctor Now if there are referral issues around there, that's so don't also forget There's some of these leaders Maybe they fall down or in the cost of work the bulletin that they are they are ways like that of a vanguard I'm cool and at that point in time the best possible for such procedure is abroad that happened as a result of the civil war You're gonna now say that okay. They're managing it, but they shouldn't look this place We have invited us to an interview to talk about the nation Do not mask it to mean that maybe it's an interview against one of the aspirants If you want me to give you a bit of my views on the other two I could take your darling bitter before instance I say it is every sense of responsibility and emphasis that yes, I Commend this courage for even trying but Peter is very tunneled view When you ask Peter one million question is going to one million times give you the impression it has to do with Managing How do you call it? You know the frugality of spending? Now frugality of spending is a clever language to stay at the corruption Because if you are saying you're gonna mind frugality of pending it simply means that you want to track the money You want to get the best value for the money is a final language of sin at the corruption Now there's nothing wrong with fighting at the corruption, but it doesn't exactly solve all the problem For you to deal right and when he says oh, I'm going to I'm going to stimulate production I'm going to simply from the I agree and when you look deeper I will say my platform for doing that is SME SME. I accept but he has to also understand That you have large Unemployable people in certain regions of the country take the not for instance. It does not matter your best interest You cannot convert them into SME people in the one so it's going to require a bit of a plan The other thing you're going to see is that it's very quick to say Malaysia Malaysia Indonesia Singapore and all of that Forgetting that the attitude of the people of that country and the physiology of how they behave. It's quite different from the Nigerians And when he screams so much and everybody's making him seem like oh, he's so he's so he's so good We know it's stuck record in a number for instance Everything that I've seen about his car is his performance in Govnas When I look at the kind of development that has happened in aqua people for instance Where Peter was not either the governor anywhere close and I look at where Anand Brahe is I have to laugh at those who are thinking Peter is a genius Without finishing a number I could have saved some money. I agree. But who was the successor? Who are the successors of the others? You see Let us not Appropriate the entire national frustration as a reason to think that Peter is different Why was the best presidential candidate of this article campaign in 2019 and we spoke him to live Well, well, we're trying while we're trying to x-ray. Let me let me let me drop Let me finish my thought and then you can ask the next question. The point I'm making to you is this There are no easy solution to the Nigerian problem And it's a time to have the frustration that all of us you feel I've been everybody feel It's not a perfect jacket for any of the candidates. They will all out there. They're doing the best they can They are speaking to the issues. I think who was magnanimous enough even during that time hold meeting to say There was unanimity and agreement on all of them or what do you need to do a policing and don't forget Even if that's our interview I've been with that conference. So what's white brilliant and he also demonstrated that he has better experience One than Peter. He has enough experience to secure it because it's been Minister of Defense That means he knows what's happening there. He has experienced because it's also been going on He can supposedly say I radicalized Kind of to my expense. So I'm just trying to tell you my dear friend That the big person in the room with the biggest idea who even spoke about Restructuring is a tickle. You don't get to be that big Okay, you don't get to be that firm Okay, I don't get to be that sure with idea if you have not bounced it through so many number number it is it is because I had very Personal questions to you because for you because you are a candidate of the PDP in your state But what we would let what led to these is that? Some Nigerians got scared that Somebody who should be telling us a road map a health road map for Nigerians Will tell us or told us boldly that he is going to seek medical help elsewhere So what I expected was what is this road map aside from the comment that everybody is now? Capitalizing on what is the road the health road map for Nigeria? I think who has always That they are to prank approach to almost everything especially human capital development is education and health that the areas where you need specialized funding To the rural areas for primary health Let's go straight and devolve my power that responsibility that money to the state and the local government so they can fix their problem To the secondary health providers Let's make the country attractive for private sector to come on You know food and he did say if you remember that even the ones who go abroad They are not going abroad to go and use government facility They are going abroad to private facility and that if you could attract and keep the rules and make it attractive for private If that facility that everybody used to run through in America some of them are running through it in Dubai Some of them are running through it in India if we created that kind of environment in Nigeria people will use it here So I think we've believes that my nose is on personal issues with life the governmental direction for Human capital development must be bottoms up the one that needs to go to local government Okay, give them more money give them the enabling environment The one that comes under the federal government or tertiary look at the funding process Remove the vote to make that he said they should remove because it said it found out That sometimes they were looking for money and the money is just lost because of bureaucracy And then the one that you need private sector to help you drive bring them in listen in my brother in the year 293 we lived in England when you tell us that oh people are going to Dubai we Distend it because I was going to go to that country because they took private sector to build it Everybody goes there now. Yes. I think we're talking about Just just a moment of tumba just a moment. Um, I intend to Return to you to talk more extensively about Your principle and yourself, but let's let's give Mr. Babarinde a chance to just wrap up now His final thoughts so that when we go on break and return we can be talking Extensively with about you Or with you about other things that we need to discuss So mr. Babarinde would like to have your final thoughts from the debate and from your your fate in next year's election Well, um, that's an editor in Jairans is the fact that them our democracy is growing Some some years back. We don't have this kind of opportunity to relate directly with our presidential candidates and I Really appreciate the role of the media in deepening our democracy and Yes, we needed more of this time all meetings so that Nigerians can interact directly with Those who are going to trust with their future so that I did not do what means of analyzing Them one by one and analyzing their programs what they intend doing and how they intend doing it So that we won't commit Another blunder as a nation as it is now the election is sobering next year And we still have an ample opportunity to to really interrogate and interact with them Those who are shying away from talking to us as Nigerians in Nigeria should please Find means of getting across to will be with us so that they can take a decision But be that that is me The media has tried to allow us an ample opportunity of taking a decision for those who are Assisted on the fence the meant to listen to them The meant to see them talking to their manifestos and how what they want to do are how they want to do it That gives an ample opportunity To them to take a decision who and who they're going to vote for in February next day I'm doing the presidential election and we service the governor's Senate rep and other candidates like that, but for me That town meeting was a very good one was a fantastic one to showcase that as a leader Who has been in the environment of the presidency before who has operate as a particular of that presidency? All right, that's called back has shown that look I have what it takes These are these all other candidates, but my own principal has been consistent as being able to give us an agenda on how Where and when and what you will do in all sectors if given the opportunity and I hope Nigerians Consider it Okay, the next person we need to recover Nigeria. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you very much Well It's been a pleasure having you mr. Bob are in day is a state coordinator at tiku support organization in Oshun state and he has been speaking with us and Telling us the qualities that mark out his principal. So thank you so much for coming on the run-up today Bless you Okay, we'll still have Otumbashya goon show me on standby. We will be talking about some other things Those still related anyway when we return from this break. Don't go away