Adewole Adebayo, Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has expressed concerns that currently in Nigeria, people cannot travel 100 meters without encountering at least 100 cases of destitution because of the state of the nation.
“If you are leading a road show or travelling along the street, you cannot travel 100 meters without encountering 100 cases of destitution. You know that water doesn’t run in the house where you live. No single supply of water from the water corporation to your house. So, what has changed? Forget about three years ago, and let us go back to 10 years ago. Where were you 10 years ago when APC took over from PDP and where are you now? Are you 10 steps ahead, 10 steps backward, or 10 steps on the same spots? This is what we are letting people know,” he said.
He stressed that the SDP is interested in the welfare of the poor and that is why the party is offering alternatives to the APC.
“We are interested in what happens to the poor. Don’t come to me and tell me that Tinubu is bad. I am not interested. I knew before. That is why I ran against him.
“When a chef goes into the kitchen with 10 bags of rice, and says he is going to feed the whole of Ondo State, you know he is lying. He knows that it cannot be done. Tinubu knew when he was coming that all the things he was saying would not work.
“But he was addressing the poor in a tongue of deception because how can you go and tell the poor who rely on Okada, Danfo, Keke and on these unorthodox methods of travel in modern times, that you are going to remove subsidies from petrol? What does that mean? It means that they are going to increase the price of fuel and multiply the people’s sufferings.
Adebayo equally likened the Nigerian politics to a nightclub in the neighbourhood where only those inside can hear the sound of the music.
“You can see Buhari now; It has not been three years that he left power but he’s already being seen as sympathetic to some people who want to leave the party because the music is only sweet when you are inside the studio. Once you come out, they shut the door and you don’t hear it again.
“Nigerian politics is like a nightclub in the neighbourhood. Only those who are at the club will hear the music but outside the club, nobody hears the music. So the music of money, the music of sharing, the music of billions, the music of diversion, the music of estacodes, and the music of contract is only being heard inside Aso Rock and the government house.
“Once you are outside, you are outside. So, they live in these bubbles and we need to change the system; that’s it. It is not that I personally don’t have access to these things. That’s not my problem. I have access to anybody and any benefit. But I’m just one out of over 200 million people. And how do I explain that in a country flowing with milk and honey, gold and diamond, oil and solids, gas and agriculture, that that country is now the number one capital of poverty. It is a shame, a terrible shame,” he said.
He called on Nigerians to support the SDP since it is the only party that is preaching farewell to poverty, insecurity and corruption.
“Here in SDP, we don’t lie to the people and we don’t rob the bank. So, account for your past behaviour and stop mentioning people’s names here. Here, we talk about the people only. We’re not part of any conspiracy to cheat the poor. So, if you have problems with those who were in conspiracy before, wait outside, sort it out with them before coming here.
“SDP is not a place where by just mere joining us, all your sins are forgiven. No, sins are not forgiven in SDP by mere joining the party; we don’t do that not,” he submitted
He also dismissed the growing fear in certain quarters that Nigeria might be headed for a one-party state, following the spate of defections from other political parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adebayo assured that nothing of such would ever happen in Nigeria because according to him there’s no one system of welfare, employment or security. In other words, he noted that there is no way the poor and the rich can be in a coalition.
He said: “There’s no one system of employment. There’s no one system of security. The benefits of politics are flowing in the direction of politicians and a welfare politician changing from party to party cannot say he’s in the same coalition with the poor, who cannot pay their children’s school fees, who cannot sleep well at home and who cannot keep a job.
“And if they have a job, the pay from that job cannot satisfy one percent of their needs. So, there cannot be a one-party state when this is not a welfare state, when it is a selfish accumulation of money for the few who are in the ruling class and the wretched people who are on the streets.”
Explaining further the impracticability of Nigeria turning into a one party state, he drew the line between the rich and the poor, saying, “How can people who are standing in the rain waiting for a car to carry them be a one-party system with those who are using multiple private jets paid for by the public? It is not possible.”
He noted that massive defection of politicians to one party does not guarantee a one party state, rather what makes a one party state, according to Adebayo, is when they decide that they don’t need any other party outside the ruling party or when there is a ban on registration of new parties.
“So, if all the governors go to one party, Nigeria will choose a new set of governors. If all the senators go to one party, Nigeria will choose another set of senators. So, defection to the ruling party doesn’t make a one-party state. What makes a one-party state is when people think that they don’t need any other party outside the one that is ruling, or when people are being forced by law not to create another party.
“In Nigeria, you can create as many parties as you want, but what is going to sustain the party is whether the members of the party believe in that party. And that’s what we’ve been trying to work on since we started leading the SDP, to make sure that only those who believe in the party join the party. So, there cannot be a one-party state, when our politics is not based on one set of ideas because everybody will form a party based on the ideas they are pursuing.”
