Adewole Adebayo
By Adebayo Obajemu
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Adewole Adebayo in a riveting but revealing interview with Kaftan television, disclosed that if elected President of Nigeria, he and his ministers will not collect salary.
He added that his entry into presidential race was with value -oriented, ethics – based politics and people- centred manifesto which has for ever changed the tempo, trajectory and perspective on politics and politicians for good.
Explaining further, he said prior to his foray into presidential race, politicians put a gulf between themselves and the people, and during campaigns, they dance around the issues that are of importance to the lives of the people, but on getting on board the race, he introduced values and the need to key in to what the electorate actually need such as decent life, security, fighting hunger, unemployment and delivering quality service and dividends of democracy to the people.
On the insinuation in some quarters that he is fronting for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, the charismatic lawyer -turned politician said the insinuation is a figment of the imagination of those in the opposition who feel threatened and alarmed by he (Adebayo’s) rising profile and wide acceptability among the people.
He said though some elements in the opposition party do speak to him from time to time, his mission in politics is clear: to rescue the country from the cliff, restore values, ethics in governance and leadership, and to give hope and fulfilment to the youth who have been shortchanged by successive inept leaderships.
He said his administration will usher in a new dawn in the country.
It could be noted that the hitherto moribund party has been brought back into reckoning following Adebayo’s emergency as the presidential candidate of the party, and unlike other parties, Social Democratic Party has been ridden off schisms and divisions that characterise other parties, but how far the rising moments in the party will translate to quality votes in the February presidential election remains to be seen.
Professor Adeagbo Moritiwon, a political scientist told NATIONAL WAVES that ” Adewole Adebayo represents a new brand of selfless politics that the country needs now. But what I have found gratifying in the young man at the SDP is total grasp of the challenges facing the country. I wish him success in the February presidential election.”
