 An Islamic organization, the Muslim rights concern MIRK, has condemned the endorsement of the legal state governor, Babajinde Sonwarlu, for a second term, describing it as unfair and provocative. This was in reaction to last week's widely reported endorsement of a governor for a second term by the governor's advisory council group in the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial race. The governor's advisory council is an apex decision making an organization of the APC in Lagos. The director of the Muslim rights concern, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, expressed a group's displeasure over the governor's second term endorsement in a statement he personally signed on Monday. MIRK maintained that the endorsement was in violation of a long standing unwritten rule on rotational governance between Muslims and Christians in Lagos state. I'm glad to say joining us tonight to discuss this is director of Muslim rights concern and the man who signed that statement, Prof. Ishaq Akintola. Good evening to you, Prof. Thanks for your time. Good evening, sir. All right. Tell us about what zoning arrangement are you referring to as far as Lagos state is concerned? We'll come again. What rotation, power rotation arrangement are you referring to in Lagos state? You will recall that when former governor Akintola Ambadi was to come into office when he was to become governor, the Christian Association of Nigeria Lagos State chapter actually came out boldly requesting that the next governor must be a Christian because a Muslim had spent eight years and of course it was, that was how Akintola Ambadi became governor. And when he was vacating office, Governor Saoulu was brought in, Akintola Ambadi had spent four years, Governor Saoulu is now concluding his four years and of course, because Akintola Ambadi was not allowed to come in for the second time in office, it was Saoulu that came to conclude, to complete the second time. Well, naturally, one would expect that the next governor that would be running for the governorship in Lagos state would be a Muslim because it's now a rotational thing and of course that's a neat arrangement if we agree on that rotation. But surprisingly last week, the stakeholders of the ruling party, the APC, just came up with this conclusion that they had endorsed Governor Saoulu for the second time. So we were pleasantly surprised and we came together and a lot of Muslims have been asking us why wouldn't we say something about that, why wouldn't we speak up for the Muslims? So that's the whole thing, of course you remember there is a rider there, you remember there is a rider there, we are saying, look, there is no one had a fast rule there, even if Saoulu is going to run for the second time, which means Christians wouldn't be in office for 12 years and not eight, then by the time Saoulu finishes his second time, a Muslim governor should come in and spend, and the Muslims would also spend their own 12 years in office. Of course in a democracy we believe negotiations, dialogue, agreement should be reached. So we are expecting that even if they were going to announce Saoulu for a second time, the Muslims, we should be as stakeholders, major stakeholders in legal state, should be consulted and that's what we are asking for. So if they insist, Saoulu should spend his second time now, then there is no doubt about it, at the end of his second time a Muslim was coming, spent two times and then another Muslim would come in to spend another four years, within 12 years to meet up with what the Christians have spent in office. All right, Professor Ishak Kintola, I'm sure you're aware that in the Governors Advisory Council, the group which made this endorsement, which actually is in binding on the up-aggressive Congress, they have to meet to either ratify a consensus candidate or have a primary of a governorship primary involving different candidates. I'm sure you're very well aware that a Governors Advisory Council is a mere group and that this group has a right to endorse who they feel should be endorsed and this is not a statement of the party in legal state. Oh, I'm not sure I had the correct. Okay, I'll repeat myself, Prof. I'm sure you're aware that the Governors Advisory Council is simply a group, it's not a statutory organ of the up-aggressive Congress. It's not a constitutionally recognized organ. It is just a group of individuals with common interests in the AAPC and this is their private individual view that the governor of legal state has done well enough to deserve a second term, not the view of the party. So the party actually has not said anything about this. That is when the AAPC, I mean a political party, the ruling party, feels about the governor. We are not contraverting that and we are not saying someone who has not performed. When the Christians demanded that a Christian was come on board, they didn't say fashion law did not perform. They didn't say the Muslim governor who was there did not perform. The issue is fairness, participatory democracy, inclusivity. There should be no group that will be excluded in decision-making, in governance, and in the sharing of our common patrimony. That's what we are saying. Prof, Prof, Prof, the question I have. When the party is taking the decision about who should come on board, they should also consider the multicultural nature of our society. Prof Kintola, I guess you didn't hear my question right, so I have to repeat it. I'm saying that this group called the Governor's Advisory Council of the Upper Progressive Congress, it's a private group. It is a group of individuals. It is not a statutory or part or organ of the AAPC. It's just individuals who have their view, just like Murray can have its view. The party has not taken a decision to endorse anyone. The party can't even do that, except through consensus by which other aspirants must sign in writing that they also endorse the candidate. So the party really, in essence, hasn't taken a decision. And the group says that this is their private view, independent of the party. If it is in the interests of the party, if it is in the interests of the people of Lagos State, are those individuals in that council, are they oblivious of the fact that there are Muslims and Christians in this country? When we take decisions, we should consider our environment. There are no other first rules to this. You consider your environment, and whatever decision you are arriving at, they can't consult anyone. Nobody stops them from calling the Christians, nobody stops them from calling the Muslims. But to just say, because they are in council, and so they are taking a decision, that is by the dash. We want to be involved. Because it is our right to be involved. Prof, you seem to be arrogating so much power to this governor's advisory council when they actually do not have any power than to campaign, than to say, we support this person. That's all. The party has not said that they are going to endorse anybody. And I doubt the APC will endorse someone, except, of course, there's a consensus amongst all the candidates in writing, according to the electoral act. We have to talk, we have to speak out now. We do not have to wait until somebody announces a primary. We, the whole world, have it on radio, on television, and it's also in the paper that governors who have been endorsed by leaders of the party. So what else do you want to call primary? What else do you want to call the next decision? Why should the Muslims now wait for the final decision or whatever, the final name to be announced for primary? When leaders of the party are said, they endorse Governor Sao Walu? All right. Prof, Prof Sehshaka, can you tell her, I'm sure you're aware, are you not aware that the Governors Advisory Council, which is an independent group, not a statutory organ in the APC, is made up of members of the Islamic faith? We have several persons in that group, for instance, Senator, Senator, I'll just, in case you're not aware, Prof, in case you're not aware, let me help you by reading the other names. Even if the council has members of the Islamic faith, that is not the way to consult Muslims of that state. Prof, maybe you do not believe me. Prof, can I just read out the names for you, sir? Sir, please let me read the names for you. We have Senator Luremi Tinubu. She's there. Your problem is when you ask questions now, you don't want me to give an answer. No, no, Prof, in order for you to have contacts- Hey, I'm saying, can you listen to me? Oh, right. Can you listen to me? I'm listening to you, Prof. What I'm saying is, even if members of the Islamic faith are in the council, in the governor's council, those are politicians. Not people, not, these are not Muslims who have the interest of the Muslims of legal state at hand. They are not there in the council to represent the Muslims. Then the members of the council will need to reach out to the Muslim community of legal state whose leader is president, his professor, Sadhuddin Baddam Hussein. He knows what the Muslims want. The Muslims in the governor's council don't know what the Muslims of legal state want. Don't confuse us, our own interests to be represented. You are saying some Muslims have represented us in the governor's council. Who knows them? We don't know them. So, Prof, are you saying- Are you saying- Yes, so, Prof, are you saying an academic of your standing, of your years of experience, you prefer for the leadership of legal states to- I take objection to that description. Okay, I apologize, I apologize, I apologize, sir. No offense intended, I apologize. In the public space like this. I apologize, I apologize, Prof. I hold you very high regard, Prof. I apologize, my apologies, sir. I may report to call off the interview if you need to. I apologize to you, sir. I apologize to you, sir. I'm just trying to put it in context, but I apologize. It's no longer a friendly interview. I apologize, I apologize to you, sir. No offense intended, sir. So, if you ask for me, please, I am calling it off. Call me another day, please. Prof, are you there? Since I apologize to you, Prof. Call me another day. Hello, Prof, are you there? Since I apologize to you, no offense intended. Okay, are you there, Prof? All right, we seem to have lost him. We'll try and get back to him. I didn't mean any offense there. I may have crossed the line for him, but certainly on my part, I didn't see anything wrong in that. I may have been wrong, and for that I apologize. So I will still try to get back to Prof on a personal note to say sorry to him. But I was gonna ask him, as an academic, it would be expected that he promotes a egalitarian society. Society based on ideas, a society that is devoid of religious sentiments. This is the Niger we want to see, and Lagos State hasn't been able to get to that point. Should we be dragging Lagos State back? Does he see it? Does he not see it as taking Lagos State back when we're looking at voting on the basis of religion? Of course, remember in 1992, 93, Nigerians came out to vote a Muslim-Muslim ticket. And that was the days in the country where it was more about the ideas and what you have for the people and how many votes you could gather, not whether you're Muslim or Christian. So I was about asking whether, as an academic, it feels that it's not against his own standing in society. But Prof, if you're watching since he apologized to you, no offense was intended, and I will try personally to reach out to the Prof to apologize for him. You know my style. It was very funny. But the members of the Governors Advisory Council according to reports include the following persons. We have the senator representing the Lagos Central Centurial District, Senator Rurimi Tinibu, and her two colleagues in the red chamber, Solomon Adeola, Lagos West, and Tokumbua Biru, Lagos East. You have the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honorable Femig Bajambiamila. You have the current Minister of Works and Housing, Babatundi Fashola, whomself is a Muslim. You have the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Right Honorable Mudashiru, Obasa. You have the ex-Speaker, Adeemi Kuforiji, former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Idiat, or Lurantia Debule, and others. You have the likes of Tarjudino Lucy, Prince Tarjudino Lucy. You have Henry Ajo Malay, former Lagos State APC Chair. You have Prince Abiodu Ogunyele, Ogunle, ex-Deputy to former Governor Tinibu, Otumba Bashiru, Libyosu, and so on and so forth. Alhaji, S.A. Seriki, Ashiwaji Uluru Fumi, Bashiru, and of course Prince Rabi Ulua, and so on. So it's a mixture of Christians and Muslims. But another question I'd like to ask the Prophet is, you know what, he's talking about 12 years of a Christian ticket, as far as Lagos is concerned. But Lagos State had two consecutive administrations, eight years of Tinibu and eight years of Fashola, making 16 years. That's more than 12 years by my maths, if I'm not mistaken. But hopefully we'll have a chance to talk to him tomorrow. That's the much you can take, and that's the size of the show right here. On Plus Politics, my name is Kofi Bartels. Sisiapologist to you, if you're watching, and you are also offended by the question and no offense intended, we'll be back tomorrow. Thanks for your time.