Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has passed a damning verdict on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the past 10 years, declaring that the party has taken Nigeria several steps backwards.
He emphasized that the simplest way to confirm his claims was for people to compare where they were 10 years ago and where they are now, stressing that all achievements made over 10 years ago, had been dismantled.
“If you are leading a road show or travelling along the streets, 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 said that the SDP is not interested in President Bola Tinubu’s abysmal performance because they knew that he was deceiving Nigerians with fake promises when he was campaigning.
He stated that the SDP is only interested in the welfare of the poor, which is why the party is offering an alternative 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.
“I knew he would be bad. 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”.
He likened 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 merely joining the party; we don’t do that here,” he stressed.
