Transcript
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The segment introduces the political shift in Anambra, including Soludo's support for Tinubu and the question of what it means for Peter Obi's influence. The guest is introduced and asked to explain his claim that the APC-APGA alliance weakens Obi's structure in the state.
does seem the APC is confident of delivering a do state for president Tunobu.But there's another political development in the southeast that could reshape the 2027 contest.An amra governor Chukuma Soludo uh did say ABGA will support President Tinubu next year.He set a target now of delivering at least 50% of the state's votes to Mr.President.But what does this mean for Peter who won Anra overwhelmingly in 2023?has the former Labor Party presidential candidate who's now within DC indeed lost his political structure uh in his home state as some now suggest we'll examine that politics and the numbers as well as the implications.Right now I'm joined by honorable Austinine Ike who's a member of the Anamra state house of Assembly representing NEI North and is also chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development and Sports.Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Headlines.
Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.I see your humble guest.You recently argued that the APC ABGA alliance means that PB has no political structure in Anamra.Help us understand that.
The guest argues that politics requires a platform and says Obi has no practical structure in Anambra because major parties and civil servants are aligning elsewhere. He contrasts the 2023 election context with the current one and says supporting Obi would waste votes.
Are you saying that because two parties are working together then a candidate automatically loses a support among the people?
Well, um you know this is politics, you understand?And when you want to do politics, you must do it on a platform.Okay, you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.The argument we are making in Anra beyond the coalition is very simple that we want to be strategic.Why do we want to be strategic?We want to build standard alliance and the standard alliance is that we need support from other region.If the southwest is having their four years, let them have their 8 years and then when they are done, when it comes around it's going to be our turn.then we produce our own and have our own eight years.We are not in the meeting where Mr.PB went to negotiate for four years.That does not represent the interest of the people.So when I say he has no structure on ground, I'm talking about in practical terms because the three political parties working together in Anra have existing structure in Anra deeply rooted the PDP, the APC and the ruling party
ABGA.Okay.When when the members of this party not note that it is a ruling party also add the civil servants who are part of the ruling party when the voting is done along that line don't don't don't try toreconcile it with what happened in 2023 reason is that in 2020 it was a neutral ground it was a ground neutral everybody was waiting for okay between PTOB and Tinu who we have it now Tinibu has it okayso when Tinubu has it and we now say okay that we are coming together sharing in the vision OF MR.PRESIDENT.SO THAT WHEN when it is our own time, we come together and share in our vision.We present our best.So we are saying that supporting PTOB is going to be wasting our vote because there are no indices showing that he's going to win.
He's not contesting for the president of Anra state but out of the federal republic of Nigeria that involve other regions.So there is nothing on ground even beyond an show that he's going to win the election.Did he did he win because of his political platform in 2023?Recall that he had 584,621 votes and the president got just 5,111.
The discussion turns to why Obi won so decisively in 2023 and whether it was due to the Labour Party platform or the political mood at the time. The interviewer challenges claims about strategy and vote buying, then asks about the guest's own 2023 presidential support.
Are you saying that those numbers Peter Obi got in an uh in 2023 was because he was running on the platform of the Labor Party?No, he got those numbers because um the there's what we call the world view.The world view then and now is not the same.Okay, when he got there is an outgoing president.Each of them was a fresh candidate.Okay, everybody was like, "Okay, let's give this a shot."Even those that do not want it, we are silent about it.Nobody came out openly to contest or to do any um campaign against him.Everybody kept silent.We wanted to watch to see what will play out.But what is happening now is foreclosure and then PTOB of all people have made it clear if you remember in his second tenor as the governor of Anra state if you remember since he like remembering things because recently
he went to pull out the letter I wrote to him as an undergraduate and he was collect correcting grammar.I don't want to talk about that one because we read the same course he finished with class I finished with second class author.Okay.And I'm a lecturer in philosophy today before I joined politics.So but what we are trying to talk about is that the indices the indicators are not the same.He himself told what he's doing now is what happened between him and that is exactly what was playing out now when he was contesting for second tenig has every edge over him when comes out in an everywhere shutsdown.He was scared to the extent that he has to go and bring ojuku they see kjuku and start using helicopter to carry him around.But he made a statement that time.He said that election is not won by popularity but strategy.
And we thought he had a strategy.What strategy did PTOB used to win his second ten is the first person to start vote buying.I hope you know the strategy was that that day we came to the polling booth.Everybody in knew he was buying vote 2,000 naira.
Do you have do you have evidence to back up that claim?
No, it was vote buying and there was massive vote buying.Because we're on television, it's important that we back our claims with evidence.Um, we cannot substantiate what you have just said.However, I want to take you back to 2023.Correct me if I'm wrong.You ran on the platform of YPP, right?
Yes.
And you supported Pete at the time.
The guest clarifies that he supported Tinubu in 2023 and the conversation shifts to Governor Soludo's promise of delivering 50% of Anambra votes. The interviewer presses on whether ordinary voters are truly ready to back Tinubu and whether performance should matter more than political leverage.
No, I ran on the platform of YPP and then the YPP itself has an understanding.Remember at the YPP we had a candidate a senatorial candidate Senator Dr.Patrick Ganoba who is working closely with his excellency president Bola.We worked with them but as I said there was no open um there was no um open campaign.
I just wanted to know the presidential candidate you supported in 2023.
No I supported Bame Chinubu.
Beautiful.Now let us let us draw the parallel right now because Governor Soludo has also made that 50% promise but you know that the governor is not the electorate right um what evidence do you really have that ordinary Anamravoters are ready to support President Tunobu next year
yeah look at it the ind the indic that is what we are doing sensitization because there's there's foreclosure See there's what is called allegory of the cave in Plato.When you put people in a cave and you are showing them a mirror that is not real, they are all in chain.What the governor of Anra state is doing today is to sensitize an voters who has the support because he has done enormous work in Anra state.In fact, he has turned Anra to a smart city.From any part of an you can conveniently drive to the capital freely closing your eyes.Okay.So he's now telling these people that have confidence in him that the best way we can get this presidency is to support President Ba Ahmed Chinubu.Then when it comes around then they will support us.And I want to tell you the people are actively listening to him.
They are collaborating with him and we we share in that vision and it's going to play out in the ballot.When the election comes and go you will see it will play out in the ballot.He said 50%, we may get more than that
realistically because when you look at the figures from 2023, I mean um Peter had more than 90% of the votes and you're saying that the there's possibility of getting more than 50%.Some of the reasons we're hearing from the executive um the state government is that supporting President Tunu um gives the southeast greater political leverage at the center.But should votes be exchanged for access to the federal government?What about performance and accountability?Precisely, how's the southeast reading the performance of this administration in the past three and a half years?
The guest defends Tinubu's record, arguing that the administration is laying a stronger foundation and that current pain is part of long-term progress. He acknowledges hostility from the public but remains optimistic that voters will eventually embrace continuity and the governor's target.
Okay.Fine.You know, when we talk about the support is just beyond the regional strategy.The truth about it is that um his excellency president Ba Ahmed Chinu had had a long time dream of becoming a president.So when you meet a house people are patching and they decided to bring the house down to start from the foundation.It is expected that people will be crying.There is no worldass economist that has come to say that Nigeria economy is not doing better.Okay.There is no worldass economy.There is no company leaving Nigeria while Tubu was the president.Infrastructures are ongoing everywhere even in the southeast for the for the very first time actively he is actively participating.SO THE SUPPORT IS NOT JUST about the political calculation.The support is also is that we understand that it is like starting on a fresh slate.
President Tubu is laying a stronger foundation for a greater Nigeria.So the pain that comes with it is natural is natural and he is the one that understand how to take care of it.I want to believe I want to assure you that halfway next year a lot of Nigerians will turn and say thank God we elected President Ba Chun into power because a lot of things are going to stabilize.What's what's the um atmosphere right now politically especially when conversations like this are held on the street of Anra?Well, it is relatively hostile.I will not lie to you.If you go to my comment section, if you check my name now, people are abusing saying a lot of things you know issuing traits here and there.But that is understood reason because you are giving them a new teaching.What they do not understand, they are trying to make them understand.
This is what they will appreciate in the long run.Okay.Because they already foreclosed.So it is anticipated.What they are doing is anticipated.But it's not a problem.
It is not a problem at all.
You are optimistic that voters are going to be able to move past supporting one of our own to supporting the ideology of continuity.Right.I assure you that will happen.I assure you that when the governor said 50, I said 70%.
Good place to leave it.Um we're counting down to the big one next year and I'm sure that Mr.AK, we're going to bring you back and by the time we have counted the votes and we know the percentage.Uh we we'll have this conversation again.Thank you so much for talking to us on the show today.I've been talking to um honorable Augustine EK who's a member of the Anra State House of Assembly representing Inath.He's also chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development and Sports.Thank you for your insight.
Okay.Thank you for having me.That's