A chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo speaks on the harvest of defection in the party, President Bola Tinubu’s scorecard and the zoning formula for the 2027 general election. Subair Mohammed writes.
Given the fact that some elements in the North are saying the Presidency must return to the North, is the Southern Presidency for 2027 still possible?
The Presidency is neither in the North nor in the South. The Presidency is in the hands of the wrong people right now. So what we want to do is to return the Presidency to the people of Nigeria. The Presidency that is there now doesn’t serve East, doesn’t serve West, doesn’t serve North, doesn’t serve South. It’s a self-serving one. So all this is just a waste of time. What we want is a Presidency that works. So there is nothing called Southern Presidency or Northern Presidency. What we have is a government that serves the people or does not serve the people. The one that is there now does not serve the people. And we need to bring one that serves the people. Those are the conversations we are having. We don’t know what the hegemonists are thinking elsewhere. But in the SDP, we look at the government, we look at Chapter 2 of the Constitution, we look at our manifesto, and we look at the programmes of that government. When we compare, we know that APC is not on the side of the people. Just like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before, they have not been on the side of the people. So, let us come to power and show a government that is on the side of the people. So, as we are talking today, people are fasting, but Christians and Muslims, and most families are hungry.
There is no disparity in hunger in the North or the South, or the East, or the West. People have children and they are unemployed. There is no better employment in the North or the South. When it comes to insecurity, everybody who leaves his house is praying hard, and those who are in their houses are having sleepless nights. So, if it comes to the economy, unstable currency, inflation, and all of these other factors, costs that are arising, a poorly performing budget, it doesn’t favour the North, and it doesn’t favour the South. So, these discussions are not of priority to us. What is a priority to us now is to ask ourselves a question: are there no patriots left in this country? Are there not any more competent people left in this country? Are there not any honest people left in this country? If the answer is that there are, then where are they and why are they not marching to the SDP? That is the clarion call, and that is why I have been in Kaduna State for the past few days. I just returned to Abuja, and I’m taking the journey to another place. We are going round the country and ringing this bell; if there is still any honest man left in this country, show your face now and come and join us. If there is still any patriot left in this country, show your face now and come and join us. And if there is anybody who is self-righteous that wants to do what is right, come and join us because that is the clarion call.
The Tinubu’s administration is almost two years in office. Can you assess its performance so far?
It has been working off the syllabus. So, most of what they have done is off-syllabus because the syllabus for governance in Nigeria is the constitution. The syllabus is particular about the area of concentration, and that area of concentration is Chapter 2 of the Constitution. Even with their watered-down Renewed Hope, they have not even gone five percent of the way. Their budget last year underperformed, and even the President acknowledged that the budget performed below 30 percent. So, they have scored themselves. President Tinubu was at the joint plenary of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives said while President Tinubu was presenting the budget that the previous year’s budget underperformed. So, what more do I have to say? Is it in the area of insecurity, people are being carried up and down like cattle and the families have to redeem them back like goats. Which area do we have? Is it in the area of employment? He is doing a programme now to get the youth to come and do conferences. He is not taking the youth to the factories and the farmers to go and work and produce. He is bringing them like late Sani Abacha to Abuja to be entertained and be given compensation. He is not directing the youth to go and work. He is not recruiting them to the armed forces. He is not recruiting them to the civil services. He is not recruiting them into commerce, agriculture, or railways. Nothing, he is wasting their time. So, what is the performance? Where is the performance? Look at the appointment. Where is the diversity? Where is the diversity of talent? Where is the diversity of gender? Where is the diversity of ethnicity? Where is the diversity of religion? Where is the diversity of ideological perspectives? Where is the creativity? So, do I need to say more? So, they are on their way out. What we are trying to do is usher them in an orderly fashion.
The impression many people have is that your party’s net just caught a big fish with Nasir El-Rufai joining your party. Could this be the beginning of defections expected into the party?
El-Rufai is not a fish at all. He is a fellow fisherman. So, he has just joined us on our fishing expedition. So, he is an outfit fisherman, who knows the waters and the ropes. He has joined us. Many have joined. So, I don’t see how the media determines who is bigger than who, but what we are looking for is that every Nigerian who understands the predicament we are in would want to join the SDP as a credible platform. Attahiru Bafarawa has joined the SDP, for example. He is a former governor in his state. A lot of people have joined him. I am not going to steal the thunder of others because everyone has their protocol of announcement. So, many will join. The summary of it is that we are looking for fishermen because Nigeria’s ship is in the wilderness and we need to go into the depths of the ocean to rescue the country. And I think that every Nigerian should think about what they need to do to get this country out of the situation we find ourselves in. Nothing is working. And those who want to join other political parties are free to join as well. But I think that to understand the sense of urgency the country is going through now, the SDP is a viable place for them to come.
What is the compensation package, and what is the talk about a grand coalition to remove Tinubu from power?
Tinubu is going to be removed from power. That one is sure. And there will be an SDP president. As a coalition, all of that is not inside our party. Maybe people are having a discussion outside. After having their discussion, they feel like they can come to the SDP and try to work within the SDP.
How is this defection adding value to your party because there is speculation that El-Rufai may have a joint ticket with Peter Obi?
I don’t know all these names you are mentioning; they have not come to our party. Only El-Rufai is our member, and he is our member on merit. We desire to have him. He is not our member because somebody else is hoping to pair with him or whatever. We award him as our member because of who he is and what he can do. It has nothing to do with presidential ambition or anything. It is a fact that, give him six months in the party you will see the amount of work he will have done for the party. Give him three months, and you will see the amount of work he will have done. In the last several months that we have been having pre-joining discussions with him and preliminary work, everything he said he was going to do, he has done. Everything is good, and he has delivered every assignment given to him. Every milestone has been reached. So, we have no concern that he will be a good party person. Some of them are just trying their best to pursue their ambition. And the SDP may just be one factor they are considering, but they are free to go anywhere they like. Ambition is not a crime. But the SDP is not available to be used for the ambition of people who are desperate and indiscriminate. The SDP is for those who look at our ideology, our manifesto, our platform, and the kind of leadership we have given to the opposition; those who say they want to join us. But people who are coming in from the first day with the ambition on their faces, are not welcome. The person who wants to come in, become a member of our party, settle in the party, blend with us, if he develops ambition, we are not going to say we regret having him around. But those who are coming in, looking for a platform to buy and pursue their ambition, are wasting their time. The SDP is not like any other party where you can just say how much do I give you to give me the mandate or ticket. The SDP is not like that. You have to come in, go to your ward, join, understand the party, and see how the process works, and if you want to persuade any party member to allow you to vie for any position, then you can do so.
With what is going on, some see SDP as the new face of opposition in Nigeria. Could this be true?
SDP is the true face of the incoming government. That’s how we see ourselves. If that is what they think of us, fine, no problem. We are just consistent. We have been the opposition even before Tinubu came. Our manifesto was a different one. Our agenda was a different one. So, we just remain consistent. More people are listening to us. Many people come up to me when I go around. Oh, we were carried away by the frenzy of the 2023 election, and we didn’t listen to you enough. We will be listening to you. We now understand you. Some people opposed us before. And they said, well, I only opposed you because you didn’t have any government experience. Now that we have tested those who have government experience and you are far better than them, what you predicted has come to pass. We are now ready to join you. So, the people are acknowledging a fact, which has always been there, that the SDP has been the real opposition. If they acknowledge it, it is like my Igbo brothers and sisters would say, anytime you wake up, you say, good morning. So, for those who see us now as the new face of opposition, we thank them and those who have always known that they were the true opposition. We know them, and we will continue to do the work until we deliver to the Nigerian people; we cannot rest.
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