 The Senate asked the federal government to with all the allocations to local councils, not democratically elected. And in under state, the speaker of the UNDO House of Assembly, Ola Mediola Digi, has revealed President Numbu asked Ayeda Tiwa to tender on dated resignation letter. I am Gola Oba and this is Plus Politics. The Senate has asked the federal government to with all the statutory allocations to any local government councils, not democratically elected. The upper chamber unanimously resolved that this move would deter the dictatorial tendencies of any state governor. This resolution comes against the backdrop of a motion moved by Senator Abba Moru on the urgent need to halt the erosion of democracy vis-a-vis the dissolution of elected councils in Ben Westin. The law makers argued that the placement of caretaker committees to replace elected councils is an aberration on democratic and a breach of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria has amended. Joining us live is Nassarawa chairman of association of local government of Nigeria. Nassarawa chairman of association of local government of Nigeria. Nassarawa chairman of association of local government of Nigeria. రిత్గినిలిలుని� have moved to the second topic for the day and we are very grateful to our guests who is literally literally on, as we speak. The speaker of the undostated House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji has revealed that as part of efforts at ending the political crisis in the state, President Bola Tinumbu had asked the deputy governor, olaqi aiai Datiwa to tender an undated resignation letter. And despite moves by President Tinumbu and the leadership of all progressives, Congress APC to resolve the political crisis currently rocking governance in the state, the issues seem to be piling up by the day as the State Assembly has demanded the resignation letter of Aiai Datiwa as proposed by the president, joining us live is Kennedy Perrethai, PDP publicity secretary on those days. Honorable Perrethai, good to have you, guest in on plus politics. Thank you so much, good evening. Perrethai, thank you very much. I was just about saying, I hope I have not murdered the name. I really wouldn't like to be accused of murder, you know. Thank you very much. Thank you. What is happening in your state? Just when we thought we had made some steps in the direction of progress, the crisis seems to be recalibrating and moving in the direction of discombobulation. What is happening? Well, you will recall that immediately they returned from Abuja. I issued a statement to say that what President Tinumbu has done amounts to window dressing that the issues have not been addressed. And that as long as a governor of understate, Rotting Bear Cradle remains in hiding as it were, it means there is no going to be respite. And the siege was still on. But two days after we saw the first fireworks, you know, the state assembly was said to have received a list of nominees for the council chairman and vice chairman. And we were told reliably that the deputy council was not in awe of it. But before we knew it, we went to court because the vote was in eight. But we actually actually said that what they did was a legality because as far as the constitution of Nigeria is concerned, local government are supposed to be administered by democratically elected officials. That is section 7 of the Nigeria constitution in 1999. But they have not done that yesterday. But the high court in understate gave us an order restraining them from swearing the elected government. We were told that by around 7, 8 p.m., they hurriedly went to the cocoa conference hall and saw them in. So we have not seen the last of this crisis. It addressed that as well as of this act. As the official opposition party, we know this is the presidential system of government and we don't quite have something akin to official opposition party as you have in the parliamentary system of government. But the PDP would ordinarily refer to as the leading opposition party in the state. What are the options that the PDP has at this juncture beyond noise making? You must have some constitutional remedies. Do you have members in the state of the assembly, don't you? We are well-forming. What we are having in those states is quite embarrassing. And statesmen, other statesmen, like Rubeh Fashion, have intervened. They have written to the president. We have also provided options what can be done. First, if a rotting aggregate look cannot resume as is the case now, we have also proposed that it should honorably resign because as it is now, in those states it is drifting. Nobody is in charge of the affairs of those states. There is no governor, there is no deputy governor. The third Iran, which is the speaker of the assembly, has been embroiled in a crisis with the deputy governor in the state. But the House of Assembly is operating not as on the basis of parties. Once they enter planning or once they enter the world that they call executive session, according to them, they operate together. So it is not a matter of whether this person is PDP or this person is... I would suppose that statement that once they enter executive session, they operate together is an indictment of your party. That your members in the House of Assembly are lacking a geological commitment. They have no respect for the Nigerian constitution. And they go in coyote with the majority party that is seemingly slapping the constitution black and blue. No, I have not said that. If you remember the processes that were involved at a particular time, 11 members of the 26 members of the assembly were opposed to the pitchments. Before members, PDP members in that assembly are part of the level. So we cannot say that they are working together with the APC majority. I have not said that. What I said was that at the time when some lists were made around about signatures, one of the members from the PDP, that is manager of the House, said that the list that was seen in public domain with the signature was the list assigned for attendance in one of the meetings. It was not for the pitchments. But as it were, it was difficult for them to come to the public and make that known so that it would not be a case of the majority sustaining the minority pitchable all the time. We saw it in those days where the governor made sure that some members of the assembly were suspended and for a period of almost three and a half years. You also need some act so that you don't get expelled. You don't get removed from parliament and you will be replaced even though they don't have such powers. So that is exactly what I mean. That when they enter into a session, they are paid as a body, not as this one is PDP or this one is KSC. Not because they are collaborating with the super majority. However, the constitution also has a provision that empowers the lower house of the national assembly in a crisis situation like this, especially where you have an aberrant house of assembly to take over the powers of the state house of assembly. And I would suppose that this juncture, the members of the PDP both from under state and at large in the national assembly, especially the house of representatives ought to be articulating the implementation of that provision now. Don't you think so? Well, as far as I'm concerned, the issues are still being pursued because there is a provision, a constitutional provision which says that if the government is unable to perform the duties of its office or the president beyond a particular point, beyond the 21 days, I think section 190, section 2, it says that the deputy governor is supposed to be empowered through the doctrine of necessity to act in the position of the governor which is what we have as under state house of assembly to do and we have not done. But in this case, what is clear to the public is that the speaker of the under state house of assembly is a master of infinity. Is somebody who has made up his mind that he will stand against the will of the people, the wishes of the people and continue to take instructions from wherever someone is taking this instruction from. For example, our next speaker says that he was constituting categorical committees when the constitutional clearly states that elections and democratic elected officials are going to run the affairs of the local government. So is it not the case of the law making the law? So Allah the be has clearly shown himself as incompetent and at the pace of the wishes of the people. So we are still caught instead of... I hope, Kennedy, I hope you know the difference between what is called political and real politics. Kennedy, any reasonable Nigerian will agree with you that mountains of illegalities are metaphorically being built in under state but the problem that an average reasonable, well educated, well enlightened Nigerian would have is that beyond the aesthetics of talk, talk, talk and talk is cheap, what is a party like PDP doing are you taking recourse to the law? Because as we speak, the speaker of the House of Assembly and the controlling party in the House of Assembly are no bigger than the rule of law and the only machinery that you have to articulate the effectiveness of the rule of law we don't seem to see you guys articulating it. So is it just going to be, you will be speaking grammar and illegality will be doing all? Let me explain to you please. Now you said whether there is a difference between politics and re-policy. I don't know about that. But what I can tell you is that when this matter started, apart from beyond-issue statements, beyond-issue press statements, we staged a protest in which, I'm sure you will aware that our personal career was moved to our office to seal it up and commission our police for days. And yesterday we had a court injunction restraining the government of understate anybody for that matter, from swearing in local committees, administrators or local committee army. At night, at about 8 o'clock, 9, 8, 9 p.m. in the night, in the night they went and swore in these people, a case is court order that is before them that what they were served in this injunction. When you are talking of people that have tracked down three, you know, tapping on the constitution of Nigeria and strapping on the interests of the people, what they are doing. They are court, even in this case, of the assembly and the swearing in of this illegal local government chairman. Then as per enforcing the law to making understate benefits from governance. Because since the state, nobody is in charge of anything. So we are trying to go to court but we are not the judges. It is what they give up. Even in this matter on Saturday yesterday, we filed on the 13th of November. We didn't get a date on the yesterday. So it is what we can do is dust within the law. The police make them a silver book and we cannot proceed on the legitimate protest. And our rights as Nigerians is a strike, is constitutionally granted guarantee that we can demonstrate, we can move freely. We went to court but since they have released their office, we are free to go. So these are the things for state protest, go to court, appoint court. I hear that you are now, as you come and be acting of it. Or go to where you can catch wherever he is and bring him to understand. As we speak, we don't even know where he is. The people that are managing him have not told us where he is. Nobody has seen this man in public space. What can we not feel about? A couple of weeks ago about three or four weeks ago we saw we saw pictures of Southwest APC Governors in a camaraderie session with him reportedly in his house in Ibadon. But that does not it is you know, what is happening in those state is saddening. For a man who for the better part of his adult life had epitomized had and I am choosing my words carefully had epitomized the rule of law the integrity of the law to be the chief dramatic persona now that all these legalities are built around is saddening but you know what politics sometimes the way you you partisans play it and none of you can be said to be innocent I am sitting here now feeling frustrated as a Nigerian feeling abused and yet I can't blame you you tried the way of the courts the speaker reportedly allegedly from what you said now deliberately disrespected the order of the court yesterday so so you told us allegedly I'm not I'm not affirming it but what else can be done this madness has to be this madness has to be the court what what the the speaker of the house was assembly and those working in Kahutwi team are asking for is anarchy because in a state where laws are not obeyed laws are put in place for the order of society for the good of well-being of the state so in a situation where the law is not obeyed it is trampled on the law and says what can you do it means we are asking for anarchy if a mass lapse you go to court I wouldn't want to encourage you Kennedy especially for somebody who also very lofty office of very lofty office in the major political party to speak as though you are encouraging violence I'm saying even if the president says so those who make peace to change impossible make a violence change inevitable that's what I'm saying I'm basically counseling especially yourself that you must be very very determined not to be seen to be encouraging violence number one I'm only stating the obvious I'm only stating the obvious I don't really I'm not condemning you but I have a duty too to make sure that you are made to realize that some of your some of your emotive pronouncements can be misconstrued by those who are ill-educated who are not as exposed as you are and that is why it is incumbent on me to make sure that I let you realize that you have a duty especially to a system that you are profiting from to be very circumspect in your use of language no what do you mean by profiting from it's just that you are profiting from one size I'm a Nigerian I'm not a dog man you are the spokesperson of one of the two major parties in Nigeria in the state of Anaki there wouldn't be room for you to even see I think it's better you get me clearly what I said those who make peaceful change impossible I'm familiar with the victim I'm familiar with the victim I'm familiar with the victim I know I'm equally very very angry I'm very honest with you and it's so much so much painful because on a previous occasion that Aketi stood for the integrity of the constitution and our laws he actually counseled somebody who was in the same situation that he is in now to resign if Aketi resigns today he will not be in penalty he will not be he will not be angry he will not lack anything that will that will still protect his life and give him the dignity of an upperclass life in Nigeria so why are people now determined to push him in the direction of stigmatizing his legacy because at this juncture Aketi's legacy as a human being is practically being stigmatized I think it's about time members of his family close members of his family and people the angers are who think they are profiting from this they are rubbish in his his legacy my opinion, it doesn't make it this thing but this is sad very sad it's unfortunate it's quite unfortunate that understate is in this state of affairs because understate is populated by very cerebral and the people who are well to do in every work of life but where we are found ourselves it's quite unfortunate and we have this opportunity with those that are holding understate by the juggler that they should release understate so that we can have peace in understate we can have governance in understate it's hard to be anybody can be ill nobody is telling in fact that Aketi why should it be ill no why not anybody can be ill but the constitution provides for situations like this so once it happens there is a constitutional second so it is worse including this figure for example why can anybody tell a man to bring a letter of resignation that is not taken is it hard where has that kind of thing ever happened before it's ridiculous and it's actually making understate look like people don't even know what they are doing and it cost a few people are doing all of this and we are using the opportunity to plead with them that it will be in their own very best because there is possibility in everything we do in history I want to record for everybody who is role in this drama and maybe I don't even know how as well as we are able to do using the law this issue of IA that were haven't been made by the president to sign an undated letter of resignation one does not know how far that is true but I just pray is not true and the reason why I pray is not true is that in the accident city the president may be walking a very very thin line of decency on that subject for a man who for a a time in his life stood against the government do serve autocracy fought for democracy had to go to excel for democracy being privy I just pray is not true and you see I don't suppose people like you too or people are making the speaker said so speaker will not say of assembly said so in plenary if it is in black and white he said so he is on tape I am not the person saying it I understand your point Kennedy but at this juncture I am not one that respects that speaker so much anymore because you could say anything a character like that could say anything either want to bamboozle those who are not standing with him or wanting to machinate his own selfish ambition because all this to any political tea leaf reader all this is about the ambitions the vaulted ambitions of these characters or am I wrong because very correct sir what I said in some of the statements I should tell you was that I expected Mr. President who is also a veteran in this business of politics to know that what is at stake is the 2024 elections coming up in under state who will succeed at getting in the APC so it is a fireworks that is connected with who becomes the successor to the APC to the APC now whatever it was that you are is deputy governor and he has a constitutional duty or responsibility to take over from AKT if AKT is incapacitated in this manner but those who are also behind the government seat know that if I that you are becomes acting governor they will be at a disadvantage in the contest for the APC ticket this is under line effect this is what is behind all the I hope I hope some of those who advised the president will remember that they literally including the president literally took to the streets when it was necessary to help articulate to help articulate the emergence of the then vice president good lucky village Jonathan to to have the constitution work as it ought to work for him and now Kennedy how do you want to hand this we really have to go now let me say that problems that we have in under state are being inflamed by the president himself because if some people are becoming difficult to deal with and refusing orders he has that he has that he has that strength he is the leader of APC he is the president of the country to slide this operation especially because after the year I do not turn be national assembly in such a section in the constitution if a situation like this happens that the doctrine of necessity be involved as in section 190 sub section 2 so there would have be no ambiguity as to imagine a president calling a meeting of that with you , మోటార్యోయి, మోటర్యోయాకూడరిొిలియాచిర్యాచాతెడి, మోటర్యిండితూడికూ. మోటార్యకూన మోటార్యికూనిలాకూనిలాసి ring. I really pray that we always throw Christianism and Pentecostalism into it in Nigeria, but it is about time this undefined situation in those states ended, about time it ended. Thank you very much Kennedy. Thank you for gracing the show.