Ahead of the forthcoming 2023 election, the presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adebayo Adewale, has accused Nigerian youths of collecting money to tweet and march for certain presidential candidates.
He said that Nigerians should use their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to punish the injustices perpetuated by past leaders.
Also, he advised Nigerians not to vote for politicians who can’t fix insecurity, poverty, and many challenges facing the country.
Adebayo disclosed this at a book launch in Abuja on Tuesday, saying Nigeria’s past heroes are purveyors of injustices.
He said the emergence of a new political movement would not guarantee any change if Nigerians can’t fix themselves first.
He revealed that Nigerian youths usually gravitate to politicians that give them money.
According to him, “Nigerians are the ones to fix Nigeria, but the people who have damaged Nigeria are the same people vying to fix Nigeria. The first thing is to fix ourselves.
“The reason we are having election next year is not because we have learnt any lesson but because it is time for election. If we use the same matrix we have been using in previous elections, we will continue to have the same result.
“People are saying well, Muhammadu Buhari is a disaster, I agree. But President Goodluck Jonathan was a saint suddenly, I don’t agree. Umaru Yar’adua was sent by God, I don’t agree before then Olusegun Obasanjo was a perfect Man, I don’t agree rather.
“And as we sing in our national anthem, the labours of our heroes past shall not be in vain, what about the injustices of our heroes past?
“So something went wrong with the first republic that is why we had the military intervention, something went wrong with the Army that why we had the peoples revolt against it, something went wrong PDP that was we had the APC
“What I will say to Nigerians is what I will say to my mechanic, do you understand what is wrong with this car, If you can’t fix my car, please don’t damage it further.
“Everything is wrong with the other person, nothing is wrong with us.
“We want justice but we don’t want Justice that will cost us something
“If we want to fix Nigeria, we need to make up our minds; I have gone round the country, I have seen some people who want to fix the country, some who want to fix themselves in positions.
“I have seen people who want to fix the country but don’t want certain things to be touched because those things they like shouldn’t be fixed rather those things they don’t like. I have met people who want to fix Nigeria but refuse to agree that they are part of the problem
“Some believe they are innocent. many of the innocent people I see in politics today, are youths and Women. Every youth in Nigeria is angry with the country, in reality everybody is part of the problem.”
He disclosed that if elected, he will address the problem of insecurity, poverty many challenges facing the country.
He explained that he planning to attract talent into governance while decrying the modernization of our political process.
“If you don’t have the money, you can’t get the vote,” he said.
He said, “the youths today, for the past 22 years, there is nobody that will say the political space is not conducive to call for change but youths gravitate towards Politicians that give them money.
“Majority of the meetings programmes held by the youths is based on the money given by politicians.
“Even for sleeping in my house, the youths gave me award, ‘sleeper of the year’, so I ask are my sleeping on your behalf?
“Youths are paid money to tweet, march on the streets. Youths are paid money as influencers, but they want change. The youths in Canada work and give money to Politicians but in Nigeria, politicians give them money.”
