Adewole: I can pay up Nigeria’s debts in six months if elected president

Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential aspirant, Prince Adebayo Adewole, has said that he could pay up Nigeria’s debt within six months of assuming office if he wins the 2023 presidential election.

Adewole, who noted that corruption and incompetence were at the root of the country’s current precarious situation, said mismanagement and greed on the part of Nigerian leaders brought the country to the level of a debtor nation.

Adewole spoke as a guest speaker at the Pastor Ituah Ighodalo-led Africa Leadership Group Lecture Series, which held with the theme, ‘Nigeria: Hope in Positive Action.’

He debunked claims that his party was divided into factions, saying Nigeria was even more divided than his party, which he said, has closed ranks.

“Our disagreement in SDP is not fundamental, just about administrative injustice. We are more united now than we were some months back. Nigeria has more divisions than the party. That is behind us now,” he said.

While taking questions from the audience on the sincerity of the much-criticised 1999 Constitution, Adebayo said there was really not much problem with the constitution. The problem, according to him, lies with the people.

His words: “Our constitution isn’t our problem. Our problem is lack of simple obedience to simple law as simple as traffic and sanitation laws. We are in a culture of disobedience and our leaders lead in that. It does not matter how faulty the constitution is; if you have people who are in the habit of disobedience, nothing works. So, if you lack character, there is no way the constitution can work.

“Yes, the constitution isn’t perfect but that isn’t the root cause of misgovernance. Our misgovernance is traceable to our character. Some would prefer the parliamentary system of government, which works and is still working in England. But it never worked here. There over 3000 things I can improve upon in the Nigerian constitution presently. But that isn’t the issue. We have been unlucky in the drivers we have. Mercedes is Mercedes. Toyota is Toyota. It’s not the car that is the issue. We just need to change the driver. We have an opportunity to change the drivers in the coming election. We have never had a people-oriented president emerging from the people. The constitution didn’t envisage that some people would sit in their conclave and begin to recycle themselves around. The constitution isn’t the problem. We are.”

Adewole said he was not disturbed being described as greenhorn, stressing that “this is the era of the greenhorns.”

He added: “When God wants to change the history of people, He brings in fresh leaders. What matters is the courage to mean well. It’s not by might, but the truth. God cannot be ascribed with callousness that He would assemble over 200 million of His own being and He would lead them to perpetual slavery and backwardness. Even the captivity of the Zion ended at a time. This must be the time. We must have the spirit of Joshua to fall the Jericho.”

Adebayo alleged that the highest criminality in the country takes place at the State House.

“If there is no criminality in the State House, there won’t be criminality outside. Once it can be stopped, everybody will follow suit. You cannot put a call to the State House today to say you want to see someone; nobody will answer you. But give someone 10,000 dollars, they will book an appointment for you. If the people in charge of the law are now perpetrating crime, then we are not qualified to call them to come and solve criminality outside. The character, spirit and person who become president are very important. If such a person is given executive power, his fears, ignorance and prejudices automatically becomes ours. If he has weakness for money, we all become thieves. If he is prejudicial, that’s what we all becomes,” he said.