The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, in this interview with EMEKA NZE and other select journalists, speaks on insecurity in the country, the state of emergency rule in Rivers state, ongoing negotiations by the opposition to form a coalition with a view to defeating the ruling party and many more
A lot has happened – killings in some parts of the country, the president’s trip abroad, so many things. What’s your take on these issues?
Well, we knew this was how they would happen. But what shocked me about Nigerians is that they are shocked about the administration, because we knew that these people won’t take governance seriously. They take elections seriously, but they don’t take governance seriously. And the first duty of a president is to be commander-in-chief. And the first order of business of government is national security, and then the welfare of the people, then justice, then development and infrastructure. I personally do not like to politicise insecurity. Because when there is an act of insecurity and you criticize the government in a way that can encourage terrorists and other criminals to think that they can influence our politics by committing more atrocities. But in this case, President Tinubu and his security team should upscale their performance. And I think the president should be more serious-minded. He should address the issues. And he should look at the security architecture of the country and look at governance with more seriousness.
You are one of the major opposition leaders. What’s your view on state emergency rule in Rivers state?.
Well, I’ve commented enough on it. I just did a little more research. But the only difference is that I comment on behalf of the Rivers people. Because most of the comments you get is either on the side of the governor or on the side of the enemy of the governor, led by Minister Wike. But I speak on what concerns the Rivers people. And the final solution to that problem will be for people’s governance to return to the state. Ab-initio, they were not elected. That’s the fruit of stealing a mandate. Ab-initio, they did not come together for the benefit of the Rivers people. It was a conspiracy that broke down between all the parties. But what will be the ultimate solution is for clear, good governance to return to the Rivers state. And if this emergency is not immediately lifted, we are violating the constitution everyday that we have this emergency, which results in so-called elected people being taken out of their mandate, it’s wrong. Otherwise, we should go back and do a fresh election that is credible, so that the people’s government can return.
Is there any hope for the opposition in 2027?
Why are we looking for hope for the opposition? Opposition doesn’t need hope. We look for hope for the Nigerian people. If you are politicians, don’t pray for politicians to succeed or fail. It’s none of your business. What we should think about is, when in this country are we going to get a government that comes from the people, that works for the people? So this media coverage of 2027 should not be about opposition and government, it’s about the people of Nigeria. And whether it is opposition, whether it is the government, listen to who is speaking more and acting more in the interest of the people. The election is not about defeating the incumbent only, it’s about making sure that the government of the people comes first. So that’s the area where we are in the SDP.
Looking at the state of the nation, if you were to be in government, what would you have done differently?
If I were to be in government, everything would be different. First, I would have stolen the mandate to come there. I would have been duly elected. Then, you will have seen from my budget, from the appointment of ministers and other executive functionaries, you will have seen that I’m pushing people who care for the people. Right now, the opposition, is it what they are doing? And you will know that government is not about ego.
Politicians are not aware that the entire powers created in the constitution and all the benefits and privileges are not for them. They are meant to be used to do the people’s work. My grouse with Tinubu has not affected me personally. I don’t know him and I don’t worry about him. My only grievance with him is the same grievance I had with Buhari, with Jonathan, even with Yar ‘Adua and Obasanjo, which is that since 1999, we have deviated from chapter 2 of the constitution and we have not been governing according to our constitution. So, I’m not anti-Tinubu, I’m anti-bad government.
Sir, if I may take you back to the issue of insecurity, the governors seem to be helpless, the federal government also, what is your advice to the present people in the leadership concerning the use of security?
Both the president and the governors are birds of a feather, they flock together. When you talk about the president, the president sings the solo, the governors sing the chorus with him. They are all singing bad songs. I don’t think they don’t know the mandate that they have. Have you not seen their behaviour? They are just running around town. So, for the governors, why I don’t blame them first, when it comes to security, is that the appurtenances of politics is with them, but the paraphernalia of security is not with them. So, when there is a crisis in the state, the governor is always the victim, because he is powerless. They are wasting a lot of money, supporting the Commissioner of Police, the Director of DSS, the Commandant of Civil Defense, but they have no authority to direct them on what to do. So, I think the idea of having police at the lower level of government cannot be over-emphasised. But we need to also improve the quality of the governance. Most of the governors are not serious people. I know them personally. They don’t know the meaning of being a governor. But, when it comes to security, they are handicapped, because the federal government is monopolizing security and it’s not using it well.
What’s your advice to the people of Nigeria?
What I will tell them is that they should open their eyes very well, look at your children; look at your environment. Look at it. It is what is happening in your household, in your community, that should dictate your politics. Nigerian people need to know that we can be talking till the end of time. If the Nigerian people don’t become the opposition themselves, and you are relying on the opposition who are also politicians, it is not everyone who is in a position that is on your side. So, the people of Nigeria themselves need to demand the change of government. And when that demand is there, the opposition that is credible will fulfill it.
Is your party part of ongoing talks for coalition and are you running for 2027?
I will run for 2027. The party knows that I’m running for the election. Nigerian people know. And we will make them know. But as for the coalition, we are listening to them. What we don’t want to be, we don’t want to be a getaway car for a conspiracy and robbery we did not plan. So if you plan something somewhere, you want to use the SDP as a getaway car. That’s not available. So we are talking, we are listening. If the coalition is for the group of Nigerian people, SDP is available. But if it is just a crime center for disappointed Tinubu followers, they should go back to Tinubu who gave the promise to them, and resolve their differences there. But if the reason you are in politics is to see that the Nigerian people are not shortchanged again, you can come to SDP. But if you are just coming to retaliate for the insult they insulted you, or a promise they gave you they didn’t keep, you are not part of it.
Is this the stand of the party?
Yes, that’s the stand of the party.
The party says all Nigerians are welcome. They come to SDP to implement our manifesto. Don’t come to SDP to borrow us for a fight we are not involved in.
We are a party for the Nigerian people. So our plan is not based mainly on people who are quarreling with somebody. Our plan is based on what Nigerian people want as is contained in our constitution.