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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has warned Nigerians against voting for corrupt leaders in the 2023 general elections.
This is even as he challenged voters to interrogate candidates on the issues of corruption and security of the country.
He said tackling corruption and security were the two crucial issues to define the 2023 general elections, stressing that since those who come to equity must come with clean hands, presidential candidates must prove to be above aboard.
The SDP presidential candidate, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, noted that the upcoming election would be an opportunity for Nigerians to take actions that show they are prepared to preserve the country and its democracy.
“Democracy is like when you go for medical check and the doctor prescribes what might happen if you don’t take certain steps and tells you measures to take to preserve your life and to be in good health.
“And, you are given February 25 next year to make a decision, either to allow fatality to happen or rescue your health and your life, that’s how I see it.
“It is also like a warning that there could be an invasion or a war, the wise will start to take steps.
“That is how I see it, it is a great opportunity, what we make of it, is how we define our own future,” he stated.
According to him, there are three dimensions to corruption, including simple theft, when you steal what does not belong to you, you take public property, adding: “The theft can be big or small, it is all part of corruption.
“Second, undermining systems, even if you are a person who doesn’t take money, if you undermine institutions, you manipulate judgment from courts, you manipulate recruitments not to recruit the best, you violate, like politicians who are campaigning now, when they say campaign has not come, they are corrupt, because they are manipulating the system, they don’t try to play fair.
“The third is nepotism, nepotism is a form of corruption and nepotism goes into fixing appointments for people that they don’t merit, using government preferment and appointments for political and other gains.
“We should be careful not to invoke the wrath of God. When we say this person is corrupt and that person is not corrupt, we must be truthful about corruption, because some are pecuniary, some moral, some sexual, some others things. Anything that deviates from the right standard is corruption.”
He said that presidential candidates should declare their assets and liabilities to help voters scrutinise their character, stressing that he remains the first presidential candidate to volunteer public declaration of his assets.
While inviting his fellow contestants for the presidency to do the same, he stated: “I am the first to volunteer to declare my assets.
“The first discussion I had with my running mate was, can you declare your assets publicly? Can you open yourself to scrutiny? So, there is nothing there and I am going to do it.”
Adebayo disclosed that he has invited civil society organisations, especially SERAP (Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project) to investigate entries in his declaration of assets, adding, “People know where I schooled, know my record, know where I have worked, my clients are there, everywhere, so there is nothing to hide.”
