 Ahead of the Oshun governorship elections, police declare war on vote buyers and deploy detectives. Meanwhile, APC mocks Funke Akindele's nomination and says PDP is on serious. This is Plus Politics and I am Mary Anacorn. Candidates from all political parties, contesting in July 16, Oshun State governorship elections have signed a peace accord today. This is coming barely three days to the gubernatorial elections, which will be holding on the weekend. The convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kuka, said violence is a fundamental threat to Nigeria's democracy as he charged the aspirants and politicians to see the signing of the peace accord as a symbolic commitment to democracy. His electoral body, Anac, has also promised to ensure a level playing field for all political parties ahead of the July 16th governorship elections in Oshun State, with barely three days. To the close of campaign by political parties, the commission's chairman, Makhmoud Yacoub, said the choice of who leads the state and our rest on the electorate. Joining us to discuss this is Comed Mark Adebayo. He is a human rights activist and a former national chairman of COA. It's good to have you join us. Thank you so much for having me. Thanks, Comed. We're going to look at this election and the process involved from a social, from, you know, an activist perspective, and of course we're going to also look at it from a social civil society perspective. Let's talk about the government of Govno Itola. Many civil society organizations have said they want to stand by him. Of course, there are others who are running for this office. But the civil society, the last time I spoke with one person here, he spoke about all the things that he has done that has laid the groundwork for, you know, the next elections to return him. But I watched the debates that held over the weekend some days ago. And several of the participants spoke about some issues, issues like pensioners not being paid. They're saying that infrastructural development is not at the pace that it should be. But tell me, why would the average of a true person want to vote for Govno Itola? I am an eligible for a true state, and I want to align my position with the report of the civil society organization that visited or chose to inspect the projects and programs of the government in the last three and a half years. And I believe in that report, and I want to align myself with it, that the Govno has performed creditably well in all areas of Govnas in this year. Now, you were talking about complaints about pensions and salaries. Let me remind all of us that before this Govno came on board, there was something called modulated salary structure. Okay, half salary or one-third of salaries per month, and then there was no payment of pensions whatsoever at all. That one was sort of suspended. But it came, it cleared the backlog of salaries, and from that time it cancelled modulated salary structures. Civil staffers in Oshu state were getting their full salaries monthly, and then it has been paying pensions. That's why the fact that Oshu state is not an out-producing state is not one of the states that are getting jumbo amounts from the federal accounts. The Govno has been able to manage the little resources that are created to the state in a manner that is delivering the dividends of the book crisis to the people of Oshu state within the confines of these resources available to eat. So, if you look at the area of infrastructure, the Govno has done well in the area of roads. If you look at Oshu Bo Ikeru, Ilan, or Guru, that's the stretch of almost 100 kilometers, which has been able to rehabilitate. But also for you to know that that road is a federal government road. And the state government has been able to fix that road. So also the Govno has called all those roads that were terrible before and are now in good condition. Now, Oshu is in the area of health delivery. Oshu state has 20 health centers across the three central zones, and all the local governments in the state. If you go to any of these health centers today, don't even report on the suicides that are visited to go and look at the impuges there. They have been well rehabilitated. They have been equipped. They have been restored. And then there are medicines available in all those three health centers. You will know that since 1985, during the Babanguda regime, it was discovered that Nigeria needed primary health care to treat malaria, to treat pregnant women, to undo children. That was supposed to be our focus. And the Babanguda regime, as well as 1985, had a disease. On that, Professor Nikolay Ransom put it, beside that primary health care is more important, is more promise to Nigerians than the tertiary one. So that health care can reach every nook and cranny of the country. And that is what has been replicated in my state of Oshu. So the Govno has done well. I believe it deserves to be returned as governor for another term. That is my belief. I want to break down some of these things because you've talked about everything. You've talked about infrastructure. You've talked about health care. But let's go to the infrastructural part. When people or governments talk about the fact that, oh, we've built or we've created a road at 1,000-kilometer stretch road. And so the government has done well as part of their scorecard. I wonder why we should be applauding you if we pay... This is the basic that the government ought to do. And it's not that the government is doing it with money from their pockets, are they? This is taxpayers' money. So why should we be applauding Governor Yatala for fixing the roads? It's his job. But what's outside of the ordinary has the governor done for the people of Oshu state? Let's take, for example, how attractive is Oshu state in terms of FDI for indirect investment? How robust is the economy in that state? Well, you know, when you're analyzing public issues like this, it is not about applauding a governor or a government for doing what's supposed to do. It is about making comparative analysis of his records because you are asking for scorecard. And when you are asking for scorecard, you are asking for tangibles to mention what and what you have been able to achieve in the last three years, three and a half years, we should not ask whether it deserves to be returned as governor. So when making a comparative analysis, you have to put what has been done, face-to-face what has been let down prior to his coming. And that's why we are making this comparative analysis that within the confines of the available resources to Oshu state, what the governor has been able to achieve is commendable. They aren't applauding him for doing what he's supposed to do, and the other states and governments and governments that do not do what they are constitutionally elected to do. So if you see one doing it, it's not about applauding what you have asked a question. I am answering you that this is what I have observed as an indigene of Oshu state that governor has done and then also considering the report of an independent arbiter, the civil society organization that went to Oshu state who released a comprehensive report of their analysis and observations of what has happened in the Oshu state. So I am basically my own contribution and intervention on those ones. Let's talk about security. INEC has said that all non-sensitive materials have been you know, sent to the polling units. Also, a few weeks ago, the INEC chairman also expressed worry about you know, pockets of violence in the state as much as he thinks that the state is calm right now he's worried about what might erupt during the elections but what's the security situation like and what plans have the government put in place to mitigate this? I wouldn't claim to know what the government has put in place because most of this doesn't depend on the police and other security agencies, you understand? And we discovered that the IGP has moved over 3,000 police personnel to be placed 2 or 3 AIGs and other commissioners that are there to provide security for the election. You know, security has always been a record investment in the electoral processes of Nigeria and I believe, as was done in the kitty that I know the collaboration with the security agencies will ensure and all the stakeholders will ensure that police will election on Saturday and as you say people are police-loving people and I'm sure they will give police a chance what we can only do is to encourage all the politicians all the stakeholders, the voters, the electorate and all the people that are involved in this exercise to give police a chance and to ensure that it is the people of Oshusti who will win on Saturday not PDP, not the police, not labor, not this not individuals, but that the people of Oshusti will ultimately be the winner on Saturday so we can only encourage the people and all the stakeholders to ensure that there will be peace on Saturday and I'm sure it will be achieved it is achievable and it will be achieved Let's talk about civil society's role in all of this I mean, you have already sued for peace and all of that but the role is civil society playing and has been playing before now because it's one thing to say, oh, we agree with what the governor is doing we want him to return as opposed to what you're doing how on the ground are you in terms of sensitization in terms of person-to-person conversations as to how the outcome of the election should be in terms of the peacefulness what people need to do, voters need to know because of course if there is some sense of insecurity people might feel they might not necessarily want to show up at the polling units to cast their votes because there's some level of uncertainty so what is the human... what are civil society people like you in Oshun state doing on the ground as we speak? What I've recovered in the last one month especially in the last two weeks so I'm seeing a set of decisions valid from Lagos have gone to Oshun states because it has to do with people an important issue of vote buying and vote selling and educating the people that don't sell your votes selling your votes is your selling your destiny you are selling your glory you are selling the future of your children the 2,000 error, 5,000 error, 10,000 error you're going to collect to vote for the person that needs you more than voting for the person that is in their position to give you good governance is like marginalizing your entire generation so people are talking about voting by speaking against vote buying and vote selling in Oshun state also educating the people on reason why they must come out and for God's sake there is no there's no reason and there's no wisdom in having 300,000 registered voters in the state and on the day of election there is no reason for the people to come out to vote it's not enough for you to sit down in your house on the day of election and on the day when the images will not be will not represent the overwhelming majority of the choice of the people of the state if you have for instance 15% of the voters coming out and we have not decided that this is going to have even less the same set of people who will come out so that will be the clear winner even if it's 5% people that will come out so it is the people that will lose if they refuse to come out they are likely to get the person they don't want to win the election so it seems like they have to impose it upon the people the necessity, the importance the incumbency going out to vote let them do what they want to do if you do that what you are doing is that you are leaving the government basically of your state to the answer people who are not likely to manage it well so it can't be like I did not imagine if the if the percentage of people who are going to vote is abysmally low so suppose such have been 70% of the people at this vote by you and against voters at party so that will be 70% of the people at this voter party I am sure that your vote can't and that is the responsibility of the citizens of every state let's talk about the peace security also civil society even at the higher level you can see that the peace the peace that has been signed since today or yesterday by already asked parents is a way of ensuring that peace will start today and that's the question I wanted to ask how binding is that peace pact because I've seen several governments every time these elections want to happen we see these peace pact being signed but I always ask how binding is this peace pact because let's take for example I remember some years ago I think it was 2015 or 2019 when the governorship elections in river state held and there was a serious peace pact that was signed and there was a handshake across the table but then we still saw violence break out in so many places in river states and this is detail for some other states across the country so how binding is this peace pact is it just another photo op why should we even trust it in the first instance and I'm not even trying to kick it I'm just querying it yeah you have the right to interrogate it the issue would be that it may not be so binding because it is not a constitutional thing does it have to be constitutional for us to want to embrace peace because even some constitutional things we have laws everywhere and sometimes we even break those laws knowingly and unknowingly so really does it have to be constitutional it doesn't have to be so Nigeria is still in the process of development but if we do not give peace a chance our democracy is not going to last so it is important for people and the leaders of thought and the political leaders, religious leaders to come together to get this wood to sign along those last, if violence breaks out at least you have something to weigh them to that if you sign this why you do this and police now investigate and they discover that one of them was involved with violence at least you have something to say look this is what you have signed and you have gone against it and then you have due to go to prison or to suffer some kind of legal consequences of what you have done in any case, you know violence is already in the law you cannot carry arms where you are not a security personal but when you sponsor violence then they come and let it to you the constitutional so it is important for this peace part to be signed it happens in 2015 if you remember if you remember and it was one of the things that President Boulogne was there to say look nobody's nobody's lives my ambition is not to want the blood of any Nigerian so he just decided to let go because you remember that look I agree that I would I would find peace if I lose so even if it is it is important to our democratic development and processes to ensure that our elections are free, fair and credible with that peace there cannot be elections there cannot be development, there cannot be democracy it's very important let's talk about some complaints that were put forward by INAG just quickly before I let you go Dr. Makmudi Akub Professor Makmudi Akub spoke about the fact that the election in Oshun state like I said earlier was calm but then in a recent example he talks about the fact that the collection of permanent voter's card was disrupted in Eri Oki and Eri Jesha Ward resulting to a loss of 45 PBCs that's the problem right there are 45 people apparently 46 people have been voted again he's saying that the matter is being investigated but this is also an example of what I mean it might not necessarily be violence in its entirety but then a form of disenfranchisement many have also said that because certain people in a certain area support a certain candidate they're accusing certain elements that work for the ruling party for these disruptions and of course a deliberate act so that they do not get to vote the candidates of their choice can you help us debunk this? No no I wouldn't debunk what I don't have the facts about what is important is that whoever was involved in that the security agencies would do their job find out who did that get them arrested get them prosecuted and let them go and save their time and what the constitution has recommended for that you see in Nigeria is that we must find a means to ensure that we reverse violence from our electoral processes and elections and that is to rubber their negative play on our elections so whoever did that the police must do their job investigate and get them arrested and prosecuted and let them go that is my own position about that whether it's the ruling party or not the ruling party or whatever whoever was involved must be arrested, prosecuted and let them go because the right to judgment about that that is my position about that we cannot have a charge we cannot have miscreants detamining the police of our elections no no no it's unacceptable as a human right activist as a society person it is reprehensible it is unacceptable finally before I let you go what is your message to the people of Oshuwan again what should we be looking forward to on the weekend well my message first that everybody must give peace a chance give peace a chance all stakeholders must abide by the peace path that have been signed and the people must go out and food we must we must not give opportunity for food and parties go out and food in Oshuwan state I will start today to return to the government and I am there I want to thank the government to continue this good work that is my message for the people of Oshuwan state well Mark Adebayo is a human right activist and a former national chairman of Kaua thank you so much Comrade for speaking with us thank you so much for having me alright well thank you all for staying with us we'll take a short break and when we get back we will be discussing the PDP's choice of a deputy governor and of course we'll be talking about the APC's response to that stay with us