 Nigerian Government accuses the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded elections Peter Obi and his Vice Dati Ahmed of Treason. And also tonight we discuss the possible selection process of Cabinet Members of the President Elect Bola Ahmed Tinobu ahead of the swearing in ceremony. This is Plus Politics, my name is Nyam Gul Aghaji. The Nigerian Government has accused the Major Opposition Leader of Treason weeks after the candidate of the ruling party won a hotly contested presidential election. Government spokesperson Lai Mohammed gave their Government's position during engagements with journalists in Washington DC in the United States. Lai Mohammed, who is the Information Minister of the outgoing Government, accused the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi of inciting people to violence over the outcome of the presidential election saying it is treasonable. Mr Obi came third in the 25th February presidential election won by Bola Ahmed Tinobu of the ruling APC. And Obi and Attico Huwaka who came second however challenged the results of the election in court saying the election and the result collation was flawed. But men have publicly called on their supporters to refrain from violence while they challenged the result in court. We're being joined live to discuss this by Director General Omolua B coalition group Tunji Balogun who will be speaking on behalf of the APC and Honourable Funke Awolowo, Deputy Chairperson of the United States Excos Labour Party. Right now it's only Honourable Funke Awolowo who has been able to join us. So Funke, welcome to the programme. I'm glad that you were able to join us. We're having problems hearing you earlier. Okay, let me begin with you Mr Balogun. These are positions on the Labour Party and what your party is talking about. What is your response to the whole issue? I know that your party has spoken but what is your take on the whole situation? Thank you for having me. It's excellent to see Mr Peter Obi and there is rise that's in the first time coming out for the first time for this part of the election under a party that has no structure as we used to see. But having sought for the election, the election to people that matters as Canadians believe that the election is not a dream or that affair and I believe it's excellent to see that between rules for sure that the election is not a dream or that affair. Somebody has to be a winner at a point in time. You know that the election is over, the result is there. The point is the person will go to court to find justice as it's supposed to be. We have taken a very big part by going to court to seek for an admission of other FCT is compulsory, of other two third of the states. Out of that the system is important, it's compulsory. So coming up with this agitation now with all this proclamation that can incite crisis, that can cause firemen, that can already taste environment, things that can bring crisis that can cause war hard, that can cause a lot of commotion. Because already people are aggrieved, a lot of things going on inside. So what we need to do to my own best to host as a member of this is that the election is over. We should start the hearing process. There are times we do for Mr. Peter to say the contest selection. If we can maintain the temple that has already started with this tabaran. So there is no point for any crisis. There is no point for him to be dead. So we can say some of the others are causing crisis. You know, people have not said it before. What exactly Mr. Balogun is that statement that is likely to cause crisis? What did he say that is not true, but will just cause crisis in the polity? What is he being accused of? Yes, he's been accused of inciting people. At the time you are saying that, for example now, at the time of Libo party leadership candidate in Lagos, if Lagos cast fire this night, if Lagos cast fire this night, they say it is so-so. God's election has been ruined. Leave that by the power side. Now Obidati himself said that even on a live television program he said that there will be serious problems and they will share in the winner of the election, which is President, which is President Elect, and we did this live video. This live video of Mr. Peter will be with the conversation he had with Bishop Obidati. If you listen carefully to that, you can see that it is more of a religious war. This is a religious war. I think the election is war. You understand? All those things that, when you now say the first of Kermol's reaction, you know Kermol reacted in that way. In line with that video, saying that Obidati is spoiling the part of the leaders trying to resolve this religious. That is the point. Okay. Well, Funke will be responding to this, but let me just stay with you a little while longer. First of all, that audio that you're talking about, that you're calling with you, must have been done before the election itself. And after the election, to be fair to him, he is not the one who dug it up to come and play so that it will incite violence and all that. So why are all these things now attributed to him? That these are the things he's doing after the election that will bring violence and that are label-trisenable? That means, you are right to have to say that connection has happened before the election. But it has not been leaked. Now we get it now. That means the tempo has been on a very high level before the election. That people have been instigated to that level. Can you imagine? That means already that's the nation that, it's like the last nation they had somewhere in Nigeria in 2011, where one of the presidents, who happens to be the sitting president now, in February, were saying that it is, if they did not pull the election, you knew what he was saying at that time. I said, what he was contesting as CPC. So let's not cross over to that place. And somebody else did not come to say, the election is not about to go. It's all victory. It's all demanding for everybody's vote. Do you understand? But this is our big way now. It's like, we will be there. Our borders in the southeast, the counties are safe. This is our tone. This is our tone. It's either we have it or not. Nigeria was born. This country will be a nothing earth. All those things, but it's good for me, it's as simple as that. But to come out and say that, no, I will go to cause and seek justice. If it is not my tone, no borders should speak any vote. Nigeria belongs to us. We have no other place to run to except this country in Nigeria. It's supposed to come out and make that statement. And now without tension. You might be saying, you know, keep in silence and talking and insulting and delighting people. And we are getting more secret like that. Come, take a bit, we are on the Jayans. Okay. All right, let me let Funke Walo to respond to this. Jepoche person, Lego State Exco Labor Party. Well, what is your response to this? Your principal as it is, the presidential candidate of Labor Party, Peter Obee has been accused of treason here and the deputy have been accused of treason because of statements that they either made before the election or they're making now after the elections or things that the people who are following them, known in Nigeria right now as the obedience are doing. So what's your response and the response of your party to this? Okay. And first of all, Schittler said something that I was wondering. He said to me first, if nothing, first as in CHES, but to be safely first. That means that when it became king, he realized that he caught him through violence, through bloodshed. And as we saw the repercussions, they began to say, you know, really was it worth it? And that's what I want to ask you. After all, as we've said and done, you know, they're quoting Jonathan as saying, you know, they have done what Jonathan did in the past. When Jonathan saw that the turn of events might turn into bloodshed, he said his ambition must not cost any man his blood. That's not for ATC to quote because we have millions of people that their lives have been lost in this process because some people cannot accept that they were defeated. Once we called in England, we saw losers. They have become saw losers. You can see that the presidential election, the first one, you know, that happened, there was a land-fired victory, so to speak. But a lot of things were manipulated and we saw that by the second term, they were back in wedding. You know, somebody is saying, he just said, is it do or die? That's not a quote from Labour Party. As far as I'm concerned, presidential candidate Pitalbi has been very dissent. He has not traded words. He has just followed through his ambition and what he wants to attain. And the same goes for Alajie Ahmed, you know, Dati Ahmed. They have done their part in a very dissent way. Now we are talking about the Aguero reason in legal states. You know, thugs have taken over. You know, most of the places where people expected to vote dissently were legal. You know, three lot of thugs. Intimidatory people, some people could not vote. Some people after voting for a certain party were attacked. They all disagreeing. And if there is any dissency in most of the people, especially when you see bloodshed, you are talking about youth, people who are very young and they are going there to expect their votes, to expect their mandate and most of them, you know, had to be slapped. You know, they were scarred and all that. And that is why, you know, if it's all being dissent, which he is dissent, that's why he has reacted. You know, that, you know, this bloodshed is uncalled for. It's uncalled for. And they have to apologize. A lot of people, I know it's a, you know, first fact that I know that people have jacked it. And feeling that he's speaking, unless he's not in Lagos, it's so that people died. And it's all of that, not just in Lagos. Even in the if, you know how it took, the time it took for the IBM governor to be announced. You know, all this violence is uncalled for. If you win, you know, I'm remembering years ago when my grandfather had to go to court. You know, the 12th to 3rd, that's, um, um, son, Akinji Day, proposed, even though Papa did not agree, but he went to court. So going to court is a dissent thing. And over the years, like, you can see the, at summer, Nigerians have had to regret that move of never allowing the late states to become president. We don't want to regret. And that's why we are being proactive. We're going to court. And nobody is going to stop us from going to court. Let them stop intimidating Mr. President Pitao B, President to be Pitao B, because there's no court. Why are they bringing up phone calls in the past? And calling, you know, I was reading on Facebook, I was reading on Facebook, there are get three comments made on, um, Papa or Yejipo. Why? Who would you do that? That office is an office of the clergy. And he got to respect it. Why bring up, you know, I don't know the relevance of that phone call. I can say it was a personality war. Somebody can say it was a religious war. Somebody can say it's a tribal war. It's their opinion. It should not be, you know, flawed. The way it has been flawed. It is uncalled for. And we need to get to a point where we are distant in the polls. Nigerians have been very aggressive. They've taken us back to the sixties, sixties. And many of the things they brought out are doctor's words. That's not fair. And it's so glaring and visible for all to see. And yet you are saying somebody won't. That's not decent. And that's not the legacy I want to live for my sons or for my, you know, children yet on board. And therefore we're going to see it through. Not violently. You know, I know years ago, that's how they pinged on my granddad, Trisnaboo Felony. You know, I'm seeing the repeats and recycling. And that's wrong. It's so wrong. And you cannot go to the, the Hitler way of propaganda. And so that's playing in through the APC and it's got to stop. We have to be decent in the polls. And we have to be righteous in the polls. And we have to do right. Nobody's saying it's to or die. Nobody can never be to or die because we have children. We don't want to see the IU's big stuff and killed. There's some coldly pictures that are seen. And I'm wondering, is it because somebody wants to become president for crying out loud? Who does that? It's got to stop. And Nigerians have to go forward in the 22nd century that we're going into. We have to learn to be decent. Thank you very much. Okay, at least at this point, one thing has been established that none of us wants violence. Whether the APC or the Labour Party, nobody wants violence. While the APC is saying let's move on, the Labour Party is saying we will see it through. The most legal means that we can find. The most peaceful means that we can find. So we don't want violence. But at this point, whether we are going to court or not, we are in a period of healing. And whether we heal while still going to court or not, we need that healing. So let me start from Mr. Balogun. If you were to profile solutions to this healing process, give some pointers to what we can do to get this healing, what would you say? Mr. Balogun, please. Hello, can you hear me now? Yes, I can hear you now. What would you recommend for us to get? Like you have said earlier, going to court is part of the process. Can you hear me? Yes, yes. Yes, it's part of the process. There are many Nigerians and all against every rough person going to court. Even if the second person goes to court and the third person now thinks that he will, this judiciary interprets this for us. A judiciary can prove this for them. And whoever the judiciary declare as the rightful winner will eventually become the president of Nigeria. Are you getting the point now? Yeah. Yes, I am getting that. But you cannot see me because NEPA has just performed the blunder. It's all right, just let us hear what you can recommend. As the president elects us, we can say that this is the time for healing and that it's ready to form the government of national unity. So we should all forget, we should all just put aside the lesson. That's the first thing, we should forget about the lesson. We're talking about Nigeria as a whole. Why we move ahead? We are waste judiciary to do their job. Let healing continues. Let peace reign supreme. Let go back. Let govrants continue now so that the campaign is over. Let's continue to live in peace and unity. Particularly in Lagos. In Lagos, we are the obedient and so-and-bent. There is agitation for this. There is lack of good of tension. I don't want this to happen. I have been living peacefully for years for God's sake. So I wish you peace for God's sake. Call all these obedient and legal people to hold that. And particularly the leaders of the the statement of the chief who I want to. It's not a big matter at all. But I want to say that all of the we should forget about that. We should move ahead. It will be the the top contestant before. So he has a very good opportunity. It just keep on being discussion. I'm telling you to forget about this ethnic crisis, legal crisis, just tell them no. Let me pursue my something in the court. I need to be surely give it to my group. I need to be surely say no. I'll wait for my time. And the jihad will go forward. If he lies, he'll join the government of unity. If he lies, he'll say no. I'm not interested. There's no big deal in that now. If all the jihad should just for the sake of peace, forget about the election, the election is going already. Now let us come back to our normal life. Let's live our normal life of peaceful coexistence. Let's passion will to move out of poverty. Let's passion will to get out of poverty station. It's in the end is giving us another problem. But if it is the crisis of this, it's still in everywhere. What crisis is today? These are we need to tackle. Okay, Mr. Balogu, just shortly before I go to Fonker to wrap up as well. Okay. Can we get some pointers from the president-elect, for instance, because this seems to be like a battle, well, permit the word a battle between president-elect and the person who feels that he should have been the president or he was robbed out of the office because of the way the election or the process was and all that. So can we get any pointers? What, for instance, has the president-elect done that for you shows that he likes unity, he likes peace more than the other? Because some people also from the other camp are complaining that there are a lot of things that were said and have been said in Lego state. And the president-elect is not saying anything about them, is not addressing them at all. And if you think there are things he has done that Peter Obie should have copied or any other person who is making inflammatory statements, let us know these things so that we can point them to the people who need to throw the line. Yes, if I can get you right, you ask what the president-elect has said. And done. And done. Yeah, because I remember, maybe you have to explain that one too, because he said he doesn't care about the government of unity, he wants competence. Yes, some people may understand it in a way and other people still understand it that he doesn't want national unity. Maybe you will explain that as well. And you explained some of the things that the lawyer-list to the APC said in Legos that Tinibu has been able to address so that we borrow a leaf from them. The point I can conclude from what you've said now is that what, as the president-elect said, if you remember on the day he was receiving a certificate of return, you understand? After receiving that, the first statement that the Ashwajibullah Netanyahu said was that either you vote for me or you don't vote for me, either you have ratified your buildings or you have circulated, let us forget about that. That this is time for healing, that already election is going, that it's ready to work and form a government of national unity. I'm sure you remember that doing it. So having said that now, he has opened his doors, he has opened his heart. Say, well, everyone, come, let us salvage, let us rescue this nation, this nation, let us salvage this country together, let us work together. If you have something that you really, so basically you become a president that you want to implement, come with it, come forth with it, let's build strong, let's put one peg in one hole, let's put square peg in square hole so that everything will go through and the children will be greater. He said that actually and I believe he meant what he said, of course, you know, Ashwajibullah Netanyahu and dissidents, you know, he has done what he was in Lagos, you know, I was able to assemble technocrats. Most of them now, there is, you cannot deny the fact that the vice president was the commissioner in Lagos, the president of the vice president was going to Lagos, minister Tashola was the governor in Lagos, all those, you cannot mention the list, this list is, so now having the opportunity to be there now, he knows those that's going to assemble to a purpose of moving Nigeria forward and because he knows that APC and a party, as Ashwajibullah believer, are coming to what the party, manifest of the party says in the past 80 years, but there are challenges, of course, you know, a lot of challenges. But now that he's coming on board, we believe that Ashwajib will do something greater for all of us Nigerians and Nigeria will be very peaceful, if only other agributers can work and cancel the nationalism, cancel the ethnic crisis and things like that, all should just focus on Nigeria of our dream. So now we remember that we don't have another place to go. I for one now, I'm a citizen of Nigeria, I'm not a dual citizen of any country, I have green passport, I cannot run to anywhere. But don't, as you are talking about now, they can just pick up something and fly away now. So all of us should come together, that this is in the constitutional period, a time that we should do because we reconcile. This is the time I think the, our brothers in the southeast, we come together, having conferences and colloquium that, okay, come on, nation is going, what are we going to do now? So can we have the senate president, can we have the, what can we do to have this and don't we should just be thinking pro, let them be proactive, you forget about this, let the Supreme Court finally, and the Supreme Court, leave us that don't cash out, it's not the winner, it's number three that win. So leave, nobody can challenge the Supreme Court. Okay. Then for you, immigration and the people are protesting, anti-immigration, what is that for your sake? So, what are we supposed to be? You think we are protesting for immigration, what are we supposed to be? And in the place where there is government, sitting government, it's not possible. All right, okay, okay, Tungi, Tungi, that, thank you. But let me go to Fungke. I'll come back, there are other things we need to talk about. Fungke, we are in the healing process and I just asked Tungi to say what some of the things he would recommend would be for us to heal. What will the labor party recommend? What would you recommend that we start doing before May 29th? And whatever we do now before May 29th is also going to be what after or beyond May 29th, Nigeria will be as well. So what are your recommendations for these bees and healing? What about, yes, thank you. First of all, I find it so patronizing, in a sense, for somebody to say, having done all the violence and killed people, made people don't market to do what they feel, now you're saying, let's come together. It's like the way he's saying to the wind, that you know, come, you know, don't forget the violence, forget that I violated you, forget. And there's no apologies. Let's just, you know, begin, let's even get married. I think that's a huge slap on the face. We are on peace, but you see, first of all, we have to establish peace among the certain people that they have burned their market. I've heard that even today, so many markets were locked up for no reason at all. So how do you begin to heal? The healing can only come through equity, through justice, through, you know, at times by the party that has inflicted all the pain to seal the people. And how do you do that? You submit their mandate to them, you know. You cannot smother us away and say, yes, it is done. Just come and join us. That will be foolishness on our part. And that means that as parents, as leaders, we are not seeking after justice. The bad is that we must seek after justice. We must seek for equity. We must know how to treat the people. And that's not through violence. You know, so the healing is going to be a long-run thing. It's something that, yes, we are going to do a lot of reparations to get to the point of healing. You know, I'm not being unnecessarily obstinate, but there is a lot that has been done that I have seen. I'm not, it's not even about healthy. It said it's a full Nigerian. So am I. I have my green passports and everything. I am a full Nigerian. You know of my parentage and all that. My mother is a fast one. My father is a late chef. So I'm full. But nobody should be able to deprive or deny us justice as a people. And it said the Igbo's will be alright. That's very condescending. The, am I Igbo? You know, there are many people. There's a diversity in LP that's mostly respected. And if we say we don't want a certain government, then we don't. It said it's why it was talking that NEPA just took the light and all that. Is that good government? Is that not what APC has done to us? So please, don't insult us. And don't tell us, come and join a government we do not agree with or that has not demonstrated any form of justice. So yes, it's a good suggestion to go towards it easily. In fact, I'm a healing minister. But I know that before healing, certain things must be done. When Jesus was healing the people, he had compassion. He was full, full of love. And so he stopped to healing people. We're not seeing compassion here. We are seeing disrespects of people's persona. We are seeing disrespect of tribes. We are seeing disrespect of people's mandates. How do we start behaving? I'm asking myself. It's going to be a very drunken and it's going to take, first of all, the APC parties apologizing to all involved. Then we'll start steps to all the preparation. Reparation also means we'll get our votes back. Not just they would gain our votes. No. So we have to look at equity. We have to look at respect for mankind. Because people, oh God, you should see what I saw. People were stabbed. People were killed. Somebody said he was going to vote. I said they looked into what he was doing and gave him a dirty slap. All just that. Please. I love what he is saying about healing. But healing comes out of love. Healing comes out of empathy. Healing comes out of compassion. And we have not seen that yet. Thank you. Okay, let's digress a little bit. Let me know about the Nigeria of your dreams. What you were hoping to get and what you are still hoping to get as a person, what is the kind of Nigeria that you would want to leave for posterity? Because you mentioned your son and children yet unborn that should be left a legacy that they should be proud of. What is this legacy that has been playing out in your mind that you think Nigeria should have, the Nigeria of today should leave for the Nigerians of tomorrow? Okay. So the time date, when we started the movement and it all became out over the years I've read about him, what he did in my memory. So I was hopeful that at this point we are going to get a leader that will respect the hopes and aspirations of the people. And when we started speaking and going around to learn, to learn especially when we went to Egypt and so many places to learn. And so that this man had a teachable spirit. It's not coming as a tyrant. It's coming because he wants to impact and he wants to put certain things into the system. And so he actually aligned with my Nigerian dream. That's utopia that you wish. Because I've lived, even though I have a Nigerian passport, I've lived in the UK. I've gone to so many countries and I've seen, even Dubai, I've seen what the government can bring. A government that knows what they're doing. That's a curious government. And as I saw, as we all got together on the drawing board, making strategy, I saw that this was a dream that is achievable for Nigerians. So that's, it's all being aligned with my Nigerian dream. You know that the years was it for Dukou that came to my granddad's funeral and said, this is the best precedent Nigeria never had. And some people would say that Dukou was Papa's number one enemy. But he had insight in me that this man really meant well and all that. So that's what I'm looking for. I saw in Peter, I'll be the hour and hour spirit. And that's why I'm back in here. And I know by God's grace, he will get there. He will get there through equity, through understanding of the legalities involved. He will get there because he has insight. He means well. He has not failed his people. And that is my dream. A dream of Nigeria where we have light, where there's water, when children can go to very good schools. Years ago, when I was going to England to school, at some point I went to England to school, we used to send, transcribe, you know, what he did in the University of Lagos was as good as taking it to every university at work, even Oxford and Cambridge. That's not the case today because we are filled with education. My dream is for us to get back there and to surpass what we used to know Nigeria to be. My dream is for every child, every son of us, to finish school and to get to job, not to have to jack back as they say. My dream is to go on the road and it will be death traps. Can you imagine the other day, a train and the bus hit each other? And it was because they said later, they were saying, they told the bus driver, don't go. He wanted to go on too. People, they are no traffic laws. You know, people just do as they please. And it's because there's no good leader. So that's my dream. My dream is a place where the economics of the nation, the economy of the nation, will supply and demand is very good. You know, when they say when supply exceeds demand, there's inequity. But we don't want that. We want a balanced economy where we are able to have a good local industry as demonstrated in ABBA and all that. Where they make things, you know, it's all be kept on saying, I'm taking you from, is it production? Where we're able to, yes. You know, we need to produce. We're just to be consuming. We need to be responsible. And that's the dream I will have. And I'm seeing it in Peter of you. And this is a dream come true. And I just hope, I just hope by the grace of God, we call that our call upon, that we get there. We will get there in Jesus' name. Thank you. Okay, let me go to Tunji as well. Beyond party lines, paint us a picture also, just like Funker has done, of in Nigeria you want your name to be associated with maybe 10 years to come, 20 years to come, 50 years to come that we have fought for. What is that picture of Nigeria that you see, that you hope to get, even when you have left the stage? Tunji, can you hear me? Tunji, can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you now, finally. Please go ahead. I said thank you for that question. Yes, yes. I will still go on to my sister there. This is our pastor, Funker Aulao. You see, as a real of Nogwabi, I have a lot of respect for Aulao dynasty, a lot of respect for Aulao family. I was one of the youngest people that used to attend the Uda Youth Forum in the Fuyela Hall in Kennedy. When the great reformer of New York Pife was there. So for pastor Funker to speak in this direction, it's not new to me. I quite agree with all what she's saying because Tunji, the bad units from here, Baba, the Banjo, and the likes are, we have serious issues for Aulao people, I'm telling you. I'm saying this is not an exaggeration. We have very serious and passionate, passionate issues for Aulao people, I'm telling you. How do some people, like my sister, my sister's caliber, Funker Aulao, we've seen that OVF and this day, all of us, since yesterday, we are not campaigning again. I think we have passed that one, Tunji. Because, yes, we've passed that one. Right now, I am saying, I am saying pastor Funker Aulao has given us a picture of the Nigeria of headdreams. What is your own picture? Beyond party lines. Beyond party lines, yeah. Beyond party lines. I want in Nigeria, we are peace, justice, equity. I want in Nigeria, we are businesses, we try. I want in Nigeria, we are the youth to be fully employed in a civilian environment. I want in Nigeria, we are security, where we can close our highs. To close, we are sleeping. We are boundary-tracking, not one has to be stored. We are God-made. And our leaders will be responsible to the picture. We are proud to call in our group of leaders. We are leaders who come to trust and believe in leaders, not exceptional leaders, not religious leaders. Not in Nigeria, we are unity, unity and strength, we are supreme. It is just my dream to be here. Okay. Well, thank you very much. Mr. Tunji Balogun, chairperson of the Director General, rather, of Oumoluabi Coalition Group. You have spoken well. And we've also had Honorable Funke Awolo, deputy chairperson of the Lego State Labor Party Exco. At least we've been able to agree that we want in Nigeria that is a lot better than the one we have today. But we also have to realize that all of us have to put our hands on deck to make sure that happens. Both parties have said that we want a Nigeria of unity, love, prosperity, and equity above all other things. And we hope that we'll get to that El Dorado one day if we have the right attitude towards our country and the way we do things. So thank you very much, Mr. Tunji Balogun, for coming on the show and also Honorable Funke Awolo for being part of our show today. Thank you very much for having me. Thank you. And thank you, my sister. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay, we'll be talking with Tunji Balogun, director general of the coalition group and also Honorable Funke Awolo, deputy chairperson of the Lego State Exco of the Labor Party. And with that we are wrapping up the show for today. We do hope that you had a wonderful time. Do join us again tomorrow as we bring you another edition of Plus Politics. Until then, my name is Nyam Gul Agaji. Thanks for being there.