Emeka: On the 25 February 2023, Nigeria will hold its presidential elections. Right. What can we say about the PDP presidential candidates and what separates them from other candidates?
Hassan: Well, I’ll tell you that Atiku Abubakar Wazi of Adamawa. Atiku is a unifier. Atiku is that candidate that we call him the unifier. Atiku is that candidate that is going to bring Nigeria together. And Atiku is trusted. And Atiku has been there before. Atiku is not a new when you hear the name Atiku, it is not a new person to you. Atiku was a Vice President for 8 years and we know how the country was when he was the vice president. And before I took was the vice president, do you know he was the governor, he just won the election as a Governor of Adamawa states. Then he was just picked from there to become the vice president of the country. We know how the economy was, I wouldn’t know how everything was at that time. So I think what is the best chance we have this 2023?
Emeka: So if I get you correctly, you say he’s a unifier, he is going to bring everybody back together and we’ll have one Nigeria like we’ve always dreamt, right?
Hassan: Exactly.
Emeka: Wow, that’s beautiful. Okay, so Atiku continues to appear with media town for engagement and a showing Nigeria of its plan to recover the country from the chaos that the present administration have made of it. What is Atiku’s plan for security, economy and the unemployment crisis in Nigeria?
Hassan: Well, Atiku has passed through this, he has been going around from state to state. Four days ago was in Ekiti, three days ago was in Oyo. Yesterday was in Abeokuta. Tomorrow is going to be in Niger state. Atiku has been restless trying to recover Nigeria and the issue of security I feel like myself, I’m running for Lagos state house of assembly in my constituency. We can together achieve security with the help of the assembly, the local government chairman, the rep and the governor. So I think security is going to be based on states from each state. Like in my constituency, we have the local securities and we have the police. It’s bringing the people together and the neighbours together.
Emeka: So if I get to you correctly, what you’re trying to explain is state police?
Hassan: State Police, local security coming together, know your neighbouhood, so that way we can tackle security.
Emeka: But do you think that’s going to work considering the fact that right now we’re kind of like divided, right? So somebody who is having issues with you, once we have a situation where you can actually mobilize the state police members or vvigilante, like they like to call them to intimidate other people in the state.
Hassan: Okay, now what I’m trying to tell you is they are representative from every constituency, the national senate. So, this representative what I’m trying to tell you is you break down the liability, the responsibility. You break down the responsibility to the reps, to the Senate to go back to your consistency. What is the problem like in my consistency now? I can tell you. If they said, okay, fine, you’re coming through Obalende, they snatch your phone. What do I have to do? You just go to the nearest garage and then who is in charge of the garage? Oh, you’re the one in charge. By the time you sanction the person in charge of the garage, probably maybe you remove him and then probably you put another person, the next person the video will like, what happened to the previous person? Or because there was a phone snatch, they will call themselves together and be like, I don’t want any stealing around. So, there will be the security, the watch out, so not just the police. So, you see what I’m talking about. So, we can’t believe everything for the police. So, we ourselves, we have to cooperate also amongst ourselves. So, that way we can fight.
Emeka: Thank you very much, Mr. Hassan. I know our listeners actually are trying to get into the conversation. So, if you have any opinions, questions and suggestions about the topic that we’re discussing today about the 2023 Presidential elections, we’d love to hear from you. And also if you are a PDP supporter, right, you can reach us on telephone line 070923923923 or you can send us a WhatsApp message on 08173136193. While we wait for your calls, we’ll continue the conversation with Honorable Hassan Zamani. Okay, earlier this year was reported that we had your candidates, right? I Atiku flown to Dubai, right, for some medical attention, right? Can you just clarify that scenario for us today? Is there any health challenges that we should be worried about? Because it seemed like among all the other people, right, that’s one thing that’s common
Hassan: Atiku is physically fit and article is healthy. I just told you previously he was in Ekiti, was in Oyo, was in Abeokuta yesterday. Tomorrow he is going to Niger State. He’s been going from day to day. And this state, there was no one day rest apart from today. Tomorrow he is going to Niger, which he has to fly. So, it is clear you can see the rallies, I suppose been going from state to state.
Emeka: Okay just hold that thought right, we have a caller on the line. Hello, caller your name and where you’re calling from. Thank you for joining us today. Good evening, sir. Your name and where you’re calling us from? Okay. If I get you correctly you are a subscriber of state policing. Do try to call us back and we’d love to hear from you. Okay, so let’s go back to the conversation Honorable Hassan for the formation of the G-5 governors, it’s one of the biggest political events in 2022. Right?
Hassan: Yes.
Emeka: They insisted I’ll repeat that they insisted that they will not support their party’s presidential candidates. Happens to be Atiku right. Does that pose a threat to Atiku’s Presidential run for the 2023 election.
Hassan: Okay. You see the G-5 I don’t know why people are so much time about the G-5 and then G-5 is not a political party. These five governors did not decamp they are still under PDP. This is an internal issue, this is a family problem, it is our own family. And I believe we are going to sort it out amicably when the time is right. But at the same time, people believe, oh, the G-5, other parties are like, okay, the G-5 are not supporting the President Atiku Abubakar that’s an advantage for us. But I want to also let them know one thing in those five states, the APC and the Labour Party
Emeka: Sorry can you name the state so for our callers who do not know the state properly
Hassan: Rivers, Ebonyi, Oyo states and the Cross River and the fifth one is Autumn. So, these five states, there are APC governorship candidates whom they’ve abandoned. These five states, other parties have governorship candidates Abia, Enugu, Rivers Oyo and Benue these five states. So, in Benue there’s an APC governorship candidate. In Abia.There’s an APC governorship, candidates. In Rivers. There’s the APC governorship, candidates. In Oyo state, there’s an APC governorship candidate. And I don’t know, maybe we’ll call them 05 they’ve been neglected. So, everybody is relying on the G-5 that they are not supporting the PDP. Well, it is the family issue and at the end of the day, it’s going to be resolved.
Emeka: We just hope that that can be resolved as soon as possible before the election. We have a caller on the line. Thank you very much for calling to the show today.
Caller: How will he unify the country when his own party have issues?
Emeka: We really appreciate your call. We have another caller on the line. Your name and where you’re calling from sir. thank you and for joining the show today. So just where I have with your question. Okay, I think we lost that caller. Okay, we are going to go back to the conversation, but before we do that, we just going to take a short break and we’ll be right back. And it’s still the Good Citizen Show, if you’re just joining it, we’re having an open discussion about the PDP and participate candidate. And I would like to hear from you, if you can to call us on the show on phone line on 070923923923. Or you can send us a WhatsApp message on 08173136193. So, we’ll go back and welcome and Mr. Hassan is still here with us. And a few days ago, there’s a story that just went viral about article releasing the former aid to Atiku releasing all the evidence of Atiku right. And some other practices that happened while he was media aid to the former vice president. What can you say about that? Just help us clarify that story so we can get a better view into it.
Okay, Mr. Hassan, now I would like for you to just talk about your journey so far as a young person who is into politics in Nigeria. Just tell us about your story because you never can tell who that can inspire to want to go into politics as a young person.
Hassan: Okay. My journey has been a good one so far so good. And at the same time, there are challenges. And not too young to run since this has been signed to give young people the opportunity to participate in politics for young people to join the movement of nation building and progress. Okay, what have young people done since that bill has been signed? Nothing. So, I have taken it for myself to represent my constituency and help the challenges we are having in different sectors. And then I also want to tell young people out there that it is very necessary we become stakeholders in politics because we’re doing very good in creative art and entertainment. We’re globally known, so why can’t we do it in politics as well? So, if we’re doing well in all the sectors and all like that, so why can’t young people also be in politics?
Emeka: A lot of times the young people complain about the exorbitant amounts right that you have to pay to pick up a form to run for any government office in Nigeria. I think that’s one huge challenge that even if I have aspirations right, to go into politics, do I have that fund? And I think that’s one of the things that it’s a challenge right now for young people.
Hassan: The thing is, you see, the other parties were selling forms in millions. PDP form for the assembly was 600,000 and for youth, 50% discount.
Emeka: Are you serious? Youth listening to the conversation today, I think we need to take advantage of that and be able to get involved in politics.
Hassan: So, PDP give the youth that opportunity. PDP is the only party that gave young people that opportunity. 50% for forms and when I was in Abuja, when I went to pick up my form, there were a lot of so many young people from different states who bought the form. Some of them won their primaries and some didn’t make it. But that’s all it is. You will come and try next time.
Emeka: And you mentioned why we were having a conversation before we got into the studio, that this is your second time in office.
Hassan: This is my second time running for election? Yes, I run for counsellorship in 2021.
Emeka: Wow. So, it’s not new to you, right?
Hassan: Yes, this is the first time I’m running for a national election. That was a state election.
Emeka: That’s very good. Thank you very much for coming to the show today. Mr. Hassan Zamani. Thank you very much. I think we’ve really learnt some new things. And I know that the other people listening to most, especially the youth, right? We are going to be looking in that direction, like you mentioned, that the youth should get into policies and also be part of the decision making in the country. Thank you very much for joining us today on the show. And we hope that we have learnt from this discussion about the PDP’s presidential candidates and also party. Thank you for listening and we do hope that you have a lovely weekend ahead. Until next time and don’t forget to follow us on all our social media handles. Mr. Hassan, do you have your social media handle? So, you can just give that out so people can also get I have an Instagram page.
Hassan: hon_der_zamani
Emeka: Can you please say that again?
Hassan: hon_der_zamani. People should try and get your PVC. It is better to wait one2 hours in the queue than wait for another four years.
Emeka: Yes, you’ve heard him. You’ve heard him. You heard. It was a wonderful way to close the show for us today. Let’s continue to be a light to one another. This show is brought to you by CSR-in-Action and proudly sponsored by ACT Foundation and I your one and only Emeka Aaron is still in the building. And please endeavour to get your PVC. Until next time, stay safe and God bless you all. See you next week.
