Lack Of Credible Alliance Force Me Into Presidential Race – SDP Candidate

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said that he joined to contest the presidential election for lack of a credible alliance to contest against the two biggest parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking at an online discussion programme anchored by Rudolf Okonkwo, ’90 Minutes Africa,’ Adebayo said a new Nigeria would only be possible if Nigerians could rise to support a coalition or an alliance of young political structures to wrestle power from the old brigades that have dominated the political landscape for a long time.

Adebayo said, “I wanted us to have a broad-based third force political party that I would be at the background, propelling the chosen one among us.

“But it turned out that my spirit overtook everyone, especially during my last discussion with Pat Utomi, when I told him that if you don’t want to run, I will.

“I don’t want to escort politicians to the villa. Once they enter there, they shut the door, they start doing what they were doing before, and you lose your credibility.

“If you want to know how quickly you lose your credibility, go and look for one of the most energetic, brilliant young men in Nigeria, Festus Keyamo.

“Such alliance, together with the support of the masses, will ensure that the old parties and their candidates are consigned to the dustbin of history for good.”

Adebayo lamented that the majority of the new political parties and their candidates were, during the campaign and subsequently the election, lone rangers, a development he said reduced the collective strength of the young and new entrants.

The presidential candidate also took a swipe at the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima for being hypocritical with his objections to his party’s scramble for Muslim heads for both chambers of the National Assembly.

Adebayo said such a statement amounted to hypocrisy even as he admitted that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, among other contestants in the just concluded presidential election, had more people on the ground, working for him than anybody.

“That statement, if indeed he said it, is hypocritical. If I see him, I will say Otutuoma (Good morning in Igbo language). It is too late in the day to realise that. If you thought about that, you shouldn’t have taken your own nomination when you were given,” he said.