In an exclusive interview with Sunday Tribune in Abuja, the presidential candidate of the party bemoaned that the leaders of this country were full of deceits, and it was an appropriate time for all Nigerians to wake up from their slumber and defend themselves as 2019 general elections are fast approaching.
According to him, certainly, there is nothing to celebrate. There is no reason to celebrate or rejoice, apart from the fact that God has given us life, there is no reason to rejoice, we can only thank God, and we cannot thank the leaders of this country. There is a difference between that. We cannot thank them whether this present government or the ones before.
“How can we say the country has met the expectations of Nigerians when for the first time Nigeria has the highest number of poor people in the world, almost 90 million people? When we have the highest number of children that are out of school? We have the highest number of maternal death and infant mortality in the world. So, certainly, we have not even started it, as if our leaders don’t even understand the meaning of governance and their own idea of governance has nothing to do with people of this country.
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“For doing anything for this country, the leaders have only benefitted their fellow politicians, their fellow military generals; they have not done anything for the people of this country.
“I think leadership is very important and the first thing is Nigerians should set their mind and search for the leaders that can make a difference in our lives. However, Nigerians must begin to also help themselves in terms of imagining the things their own obligations, reassessing their own obligations to themselves.
“We have access to information now more than ever before, they should be able to put their leaders on immense pressure. This country must be different by 2019, this county must move forward, a full at 40 is a full forever. Nigeria is a full of a country at 58, that means that it is doomed and that is unacceptable, and it must move forward.” He challenged electorates.
Also speaking with Sunday Tribune, Strategic team member of BringBackOurGirls (BBOG), Sesugh Akume said the country has not met the expectations of her citizens in any way, because there was no sector or area of life that the country has scored even average, whether in the area of welfare, security, education or providing foods or shelters to her citizens.
He said the country has not done well for its citizenry, hence, no reason whatsoever to celebrate. “It calls for sober. We are not where we are supposed to be at 58. We should be thinking of how can we take ourselves out of this mess? How can we choose credible leaders?” he questioned.
Another political analyst, Mr Olusoji Daniel said in those days, there were good jobs waiting for people who had not even graduated from schools, but now there is no job, no security, and Federal Government is still talking about celebration.
“There is nothing to celebrate. Nigeria can put their thinking caps on now. Democracy was supposed to be celebrated in Osun State but we all knew what went down in Osun. Democracy should be preserved. Election and electioneering shouldn’t be a process that will enrich people. We should decide because the time is coming that we will be no more and our children may face the effect of what we sowed.
“Some of our parents were greedy when alive. Instead of building a legacy for the generation coming behind, everything was consumed in that period. Selfishness, greed, they embezzled money and took it abroad. A time is coming in Nigeria that politicians would be stoned everywhere when we are pushed to the wall.” He said.
In his own perception, Mr Ade Alabi: “we have not even achieved 15 per cent, there is no point, but for the fact that Nigeria is still in existence, we are still one, so that calls for rejoicing. The way forward is everybody to rise up, especially youths. They should take actions now before it would be too late”
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