Adebayo Faults Narrative on Regional System of Govt

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has faulted the argument and narrative that the system of government at the regional level was more effective and efficient than the federal system the country is presently running. 

Speaking with journalists Thursday, Adebayo stated that whichever system operated, it is the quality of people running it that would determine its success or otherwise. 

“Don’t say those regions were effectively run because they were regions. They were effective because of the quality of the political leadership, the quality of the public services, and the general direction and the moral compass of the country at that time. Those who are running the country today as at present, if they were asked to run the regions, they would have ruined the regions. If they have displayed the same attitude today now, if they display them when the regions were there, they will ruin the regions,” he stated.

Adebayo, an international lawyer and business man, regretted that Nigerian politics have totally become transactional such that the welfare of the people was no longer the essence of political participation.

He said majority of the politicians are mere financiers and businessmen.

“The people we elect nowadays are not politicians, they are financiers, who believe that politics is like investing money in any other venture. So, when you invest money, you will reap in abundance. So many people who ordinarily will be in business, will realize that if you invest in banking, agriculture or whatever, you get a single digit return. 

“If you invest in politics, you get million fold. If you give a billion naira to support a political party or a candidate, you could have a whole ministry given to you. And ministers, commissioners and other senior government people are recruited to help the boss get his money back to protect procurements and other business opportunities for their clan, for their clique. So, no pure government is going on. They are recruiting themselves to govern it. The reason why our politics is failing is our philosophy of governance has failed,” he said.

On his expectation of the newly changed federal cabinet members of President Tinubu, Adebayo said he expected the new ministers to be candid with their new boss so that they can discharge their duties successfully. 

He however advised them to have the courage to throw in the towel if and when they find there is conflict within their conscience and the instructions of the president. 

According to him, “I expect that they should be candid to the president in advising him in discharging the functions of their offices. When they find there is conflict within their conscience and the instructions of the president, they should let the president know and if necessary, they should give him his job back. They should upgrade their conscience so that they will not do in public office something they do not want the public to be aware of.”

President Tinubu, Adebayo pointed out, has the prerogative powers to choose and fire his appointees whenever he choses without being questioned. 

“It is within the constitutional prerogative of the president to appoint ministers, deploy ministers, supervise ministers, reassign ministers and replace ministers. Under Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution, the president is the sole executive. All the executive powers in the federation are vested in the president. And it’s only he who is the executive, and shares that power with no one.

“Therefore, when the president decides to reshuffle his cabinet, he has that constitutional right, the same rights he had at the beginning when he selected his ministers and appointed them.

“I would never be on any side that would criticize the president for the kind of appointment he makes, the timing of It, and the nature of it, because that is his constitutional right,” he explained.