…Says; Nigeria’s real problem Is not lack of resources
The Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has declared that Nigeria’s security crisis cannot be effectively addressed without a critical examination of the interest and networks sustaining violence and criminality.
This was as he noted that bad governance, weak institutions and poor accountability remain the major problems confronting Nigeria as against a lack of natural and human resources.
Adebayo, who stated these while addressing the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital as part of the presidential candidates invited to present their visions for governing the country, strongly criticized the political establishment, stressing that, there is a huge gap between the effectiveness of huge security expenditures on security and the challenges citizens continue to face with regards to kidnapping, terrorism and other forms of insecurity.
Adebayo pointedly said that some political actors and their collaborators are benefiting from insecurity, illegal mining and other criminal activities.
In his words; “If you remove these politicians who you keep re-electing, they will go away, and their terrorist partners will go away. If you keep re-electing them, the terrorists will continue because they and the terrorists are in partnership”.
Adebayo therefore emphasized the need for constitutional governance, accountable institutions as against ethnic or religious power rotation, adding that the concerns for insecurity should be addressed through stronger accountability mechanisms rather than simply increasing security allocations.
He also called for reforms to the Office of the National Security Adviser and a fundamental restructuring of the Nigerian armed forces, saying that there was the urgent need for the creation of a “people’s army” capable of responding effectively to threats confronting communities.
Adebayo particularly criticised the creation of additional military formations without adequate manpower and equipment, stressing that what Nigeria needs is operationally effective security structures as against changes that exist mainly on paper.
While commenting on the persistent farmer-herder crisis, Adebayo rejected what he described as an oversimplification of the conflict, saying that he is a herder with close to one million cattle, but has never killed anybody.
The SDP Presidential candidate insisted that the government must identify the actual perpetrators and beneficiaries of violence instead of treating the crisis simply as a confrontation between farmers and herders.
Adebayo specifically called for tighter regulation of the mining sector, saying that miners should be properly identified and held accountable for criminal activities within areas where they operate.
He also expressed support for the establishment of state-controlled police structures, emphasising that policing should reflect the constitutional responsibilities of different levels of government, adding that since State governments have the powers to make laws, they should also have mechanisms for enforcing those laws.
Adebayo further said; “Nigerians are more interested in a government capable of improving their living conditions than in the political ambitions or electoral fortunes of individual politicians.
“Despite successive elections and changes of government since 1999, Nigeria has failed to achieve the fundamental transformation envisaged by the Constitution.
“The country needs a new political direction based on constitutional governance, accountability, competence and commitment to the welfare of citizens,” he stated.
Adebayo said the SDP rejected the practice of rotating political power on the basis of ethnicity or religion, insisting that competence and an understanding of Nigeria’s challenges should determine who governs the country.
He said the SDP’s political philosophy is anchored on Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, particularly the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.
In his words; “We do not rotate power based on ethnicity and religion. We do it based on your understanding of the needs of the country”.
While taking a critical look at the debate on fuel subsidy, Adebayo said Nigerians should move beyond arguments over whether subsidy should be removed, stressing that the immediate priority should be affordable petroleum products, lower energy costs and a stable exchange rate.
Adebayo stated that the SDP had opposed the removal of subsidy as the policy could impose severe hardship on Nigerians, stressing that the subsidy debate has become largely academic as the previous arrangement was dismantled.
According to him; “Subsidy is like giving a scholarship to attend a university that no longer exists. The scholarship is useless, The government should instead concentrate on measures capable of reducing energy costs and improving the country’s productive capacity”.
