Galadima Defends Obi, Kwankwaso Defection To NDC — Politics Today

[0:03] Mr. Abuba Galadimah joins us from Abuja's studio. [0:06] Mr. Galadimah, thank you so much for coming on the program. [0:10] Thank you very much, Jeff, for having me on this program. [0:15] Okay, I see what you're doing there. [0:18] You haven't paid us for that commercial, but I'll let it slide. [0:21] I'll let it slide, Mr. Galadimah. [0:24] So, in rather very quick succession, from NNPP to ADC and now to NDC, it arouses curiosity. [0:34] And there were reasons given by Mr. Peter Obi as well as Mr. Robi Okwankosul, [0:41] both former governors and former presidential candidates in different political parties. [0:44] And in the next election, they seem to be preparing to face the president. [0:50] What really happened that Nigerians need to know that led to the collapse of what was looking like a strong coalition? [0:58] Initially, coalition was a bit taken for granted. [1:01] But somehow, all of the persons who were able to get 6.1, 6.9, 1.7 million votes came together. [1:08] And it was beginning to look like, well, we're beginning to look like a coalition that would give President Inubu a run for his money. [1:15] And now, everything has collapsed. [1:16] What happened? [1:20] Well, Jeff, I presume that's Jeff? [1:23] Yes, that's me. [1:24] My name is Jeff. [1:25] Thank you very much for this opportunity. [1:31] And all Nigerians know that we are living in difficult times these days in the political front. [1:44] That the government of the day and the ruling party decided to make Nigeria a one-party state. [1:52] And in that effect, they want to assure themselves that the only way they can win election is to have a single candidate. [2:02] That is President Bola Ahamed Tunubu. [2:05] They are allergic to democratic competition. [2:10] So they have gone to town, in our own estimation, to destroy all political parties. [2:16] They destroyed the NNPP. [2:19] They destroyed the LP, that's the Labour Party, on which both Concoso and Mr. Peter Obi had run in 2023. [2:31] They wanted to disenfranchise them. [2:34] And they congregated in the ADC with the hope. [2:38] And that congregation in the ADC was the making of the president and the government itself. [2:49] Because if not for what they did, I don't think some of those gladiators will ever come under the same room. [2:56] However, all that is history. [2:58] Any sensible Nigerian, every intelligent Nigerian, should know that the judgment of Justice Joyce Abdul-Malik on Wednesday, last week, [3:14] and the judgment of the Supreme Court on Thursday, last week, has completely disenfranchised the ADC as a viable political vehicle for the 2027 elections. [3:28] Therefore, but, I think I need to say something here. [3:33] Even though it is extremely confidential, that even before these judgments, some good Samaritans have, during our sniffing to find out what is happening, [3:52] had advised us that we should better look for another platform. [3:57] Why? [3:58] Because they said that they don't think this judgment would be favorable to us. [4:03] And that the ADC would be an available vehicle for contest in the 2027 election. [4:13] So, we've been wise politicians, as we are, and been masters of this game, started to look for alternatives. [4:20] And now awaited the judgment. [4:22] And that judgment came on Wednesday. [4:30] That was the first salvo fired by Justice Joyce Abdul-Malik. [4:34] And for anybody to now know or think that a high court judge will pronounce judgment on an issue that is before the Supreme Court, [4:49] you know that something is wrong and that you better pick race if you have the legs to run. [4:55] So, we waited for the first day judgment, that happened. [5:02] So, we now started reaffirming our position to look for an alternative. [5:06] And it is this alternative that culminated in us yesterday, the principles declaring for NDC party. [5:19] So, and I would want to say categorically on this program that we had asked some of our allies in the ADC to really pick race [5:34] and look for an alternative platform because the judgments have shown a booby trap for all those that will be trapped in it. [5:44] And I even want to say that any wise politicians, just a moment, sir, because of time, I want to ask as many questions as possible. [5:57] So, it calls to question the ability of the politicians themselves to be able to have foresight to see where the coast is clear or where the coast, [6:06] at what point did you discover there were crabs? [6:08] Because this is what you're saying on TV and what has been written out. [6:10] But some people are saying, for instance, for Peter Opie, for instance, especially the APC, are saying he shies away from contest. [6:18] That happened in PDP, for instance, in the People's Democratic Party, when he realized he couldn't get the ticket, [6:23] he went to the Labour Party and it was easy for him. [6:26] And then when there were issues in the Labour Party, now he went to the ADC. [6:29] Now seeing the handwriting on the wall, perhaps now seeing that, oh, maybe this contest may not favor me, [6:34] whether it's consensus or primary, he has now left. [6:36] And then your principle has now been put in the same boat. [6:38] Is this about litigation or inability to be able to foster some level of political maneuvering to get the ticket of the party? [6:49] Is it about ticket? [6:51] The vehicle is not available by the judgment. [6:56] We didn't leave until there was a judgment setting a booby trap for everybody within the ADC. [7:02] And this is why we are using this opportunity to call on the remnants of our comrades still in the ADC to come to NDC, [7:15] where we will have a level playing ground. [7:19] We are all join us within a day and where primaries will be held. [7:22] And I'm particularly calling on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to jump ship and come to the NDC [7:30] such that there will be a level playing ground for everybody because all of us are now joining at about the same time [7:37] such that there will be a free, fair and transparent and level playing ground for contest to get the ticket of the NDC. [7:49] And whosoever refuses to do that means he is the enemy of Nigeria by refusing, by scatling the unity of the opposition political parties [8:03] and their ability to unseat President Bola Tinubu. [8:07] It is only those who come to the ADC. [8:11] My apologies, sir. [8:12] I did say that I want to ask you as many questions as possible. [8:14] Sir, I may be butting in intermittently. [8:16] Bear with me. [8:16] So, is a level, do you think that the NDC, for instance, is very okay right now for anybody to come in? [8:24] Because I say that I think the ADA, they say they are going to sue INEC over it for their registration. [8:29] I think that was another case by the AGF also, if I stand to be corrected, about the registering some political parties as well. [8:37] So, are they free of litigation issues, this NDC? [8:43] As we speak now, as we speak now, NDC is very clean and as white as the snow, no encumbrance on it. [8:54] And if anybody is suing INEC and does not also, I mean, suing INEC does not mean that he is suing the NDC. [9:04] So, that one is an issue for another day because as far as we are concerned, we did our due diligence, insulted, I mean, consulted former judges, consulted very, very highly intelligent and resourceful lawyers, SAN, [9:24] and they told us that as far as we are concerned, we are good to go. [9:28] That is why everybody who wants to run for election, NDC is the vehicle to approach for now. [9:38] All right, Mr. Daladima. [9:39] That does not mean, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. [9:43] And that does not rule the fact that this government and APC cannot try some funny things. [9:51] But we are there waiting for them. [9:53] Well, as a politician, you should know by now that preparing for sabotage, if there is any, is part of how you prepare for the war. [9:59] So, complaining about sabotage may not be a very genius idea with greater sense of respect because if it happens, it has happened. [10:06] We are not complaining, we are saying that from whichever angle they come, we've done our due diligence, we are prepared for them. [10:16] And if there is justice, we know we will prevail. [10:21] All right, Mr. Daladima, let me ask you a straight question. [10:23] So, we don't have time. [10:24] I mean, the election in general, you have just about a few days to submit membership. [10:30] That's NDC now because you just joined. [10:32] So, I'm sure your name will be listed that will be submitted to INEC in the next maybe four or five days to INEC. [10:37] What is the position of NDC in terms of the presidential election? [10:41] Is there going to be zoning? [10:43] That's one question. [10:45] Number two, is it going to be by consensus or primary because you don't have the luxury of time? [10:51] Well, I don't know whether you are saying election. [10:54] I'm talking about primaries. [10:55] That's what I'm saying. [10:56] That is our major issue now before us, primaries. [10:59] The NDC will submit its register either on the 5th or on the 6th of this month. [11:07] That is either tomorrow, Tuesday, or on Wednesday. [11:11] So, once we do that, we are good to go and we have zoned the party's presidential candidature to the South. [11:22] More missing words. [11:25] We've zoned it to the South. [11:26] Therefore, whoever from the South, if Jeff wants to run, please go and register quickly today or tomorrow so that your name gets into the register. [11:36] I'm not interested. [11:37] Like you're the 3rd or 4th politician dragging me into politics. [11:40] I'm a journalist. [11:41] I like my job. [11:42] My job is to check the politicians. [11:43] I'm not interested. [11:45] But let me also ask you, Ms. Agar. [11:48] I'm going to come back to this question within the time we have. [11:51] Isn't it, what is going on with the opposition? [11:54] Isn't it playing into the hands of the ruling party? [11:56] Because I'll tell you the highlights since 1999. [11:59] There are several highlights politically. [12:01] One of the highlights of 1999 until today is that in 2007 or so, PDP had about 28 governors. [12:07] So, whatever the APC is doing today is just an imagine higher than what the PDP is doing in terms of governors. [12:14] In 2015, it took a merger to unseat an incumbent like Goodluck Jonathan. [12:21] And in 2023, we saw the first time a man without structure was able to cause an upset to get 6.1 million votes. [12:28] Where am I going to with all of this? [12:29] The only model available to unseat a ruling party, if that is possible, is not by a divided, broken house into pieces like what happened in 2023. [12:42] Now, it looks like with the movement of Kwon Koso and Peter Obi, leaving Atiko in the ADC, it's clearly Uhuru for President Bola Tinubo. [12:52] Are you looking at it that way? [12:56] Well, not quite. [12:58] The truth of the matter is that all of us, Peter Obi, Kwon Koso, all of us, all of them migrated into the ADC such that they bring a unity of the opposition forces within the ADC to enable them without much problem and sit to Nubu. [13:20] Unfortunately, there are this insinuation that the APC and the government, in fact, by extension to Nubu, use the courts to scuttle the opposition. [13:35] This is why I am making this call on Vice President Atiko Abubakar to follow us as we followed him into the ADC such that there will be a unity of the opposition to unseat this government. [13:51] And if he refuses, then whatever happens to the opposition, Vice President Atiko will be held responsible. [13:57] I didn't get that clearly in just a moment, but in closing, Mr. Kwon Koso was outside in the ADC and he was persuaded to come in. [14:20] So we are also pleading with Vice President Atiko Abubakar to come into the ADC such that we can consolidate again and remove the incumbent government. [14:34] That is what I am saying. [14:35] If he refuses to do that, then the ball is in his court because he has now scuttled the unity of the opposition to unseat this government. [14:49] Because he cannot continue beyond tomorrow to be in the ADC or else he has agreed now to forfeit his right to contest in this election in 2027. [15:01] Mr. Bouba Galatouma, I'm always delighted to have you on the program. [15:04] I don't have much time again on the program, certainly because of... [15:08] We will have you back. [15:09] The question I wanted to ask you that I don't have the opportunity was to ask you how you intend to unseat President Atiko Abubakar. [15:15] That will be for another time. [15:16] Mr. Bouba Galatouma, how do I describe you now, a Chieftain of the ADC? [15:21] How do you describe yourself, sir? [15:23] No, no, I'm not speaking for the ADC. [15:26] I'm a freelance politician for now because I have not been appointed as spokesperson of the ADC. [15:33] Mr. Okay, you are the second freelance politician after Bala Mohammed. [15:38] Mr. Bouba Galatouma, thank you. [15:40] I appreciate it. [15:41] Thank you, sir. [15:41] Thank you, Jeff. [15:42] Thank you. [15:43] I appreciate it. [15:43] Thank you.