Mr. Adewale Adebayo is a young businessman, politician and Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council in the State of Osun. He is hoping to pull a surprise spring in the February 25, 2023 National Assembly election in Osun Central Senatorial District, as he contests under the Allied Peoples Movement’s (APM) platform. In this interview with OSUN DEFENDER, he encourages the youths to go into active politics to have new leadership system in Nigeria. Excerpts:
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HERE have been calls for youths to take up the challenge of leadership in Nigeria. How do you find the attitude of youths to politics, governance and leadership in Nigeria?
I am glad there is a rude awakening of the youths to the need to have them at the center of politics, governance and leadership in Nigeria. But the youths need to understand the ropes of these things. First, they have to join a political party which is a platform to launch into mainstream politics. You cannot be expecting change in our political systems and governance and not join a political party. If joining a party seems a no-go area for some, then youths already in mainstream politics can be supported to attain leadership roles. In all of these, it is important to still have our fathers and mothers around as their experience is very much needed. Notably, the youths have been contributing to national development and advancement of democracy and good governance through their comments in their various social media handles. They had also demonstrated their strength in 2020; but the proper channel to ventilate their anger, to demand a new order in Nigeria’s leadership system, to bring about a desire change is through the ballot and political party participation. Elections are not won on social media. The energy the youths are dissipating on social media should be channeled to real life voters mobilization for the forthcoming election. It is clear that Nigerian youths now have a positive and active attitude to politics, governance and leadership now, unlike like their ‘I don’t care attitude’ in the recent past.
Do you think the political and economic system supports the youths to wrestle power from the current leaders of the country?
Absolutely yes; but the question that should have been added to that is: “is the method they are adopting going to work?” absolutely NO. Going through my political journey, I have realized that the strength of character has to be built and this takes a couple of years to build, so as to gain trust and followership. Also, the system has been cash built over decades. Are the youths buoyant enough? NO. This is the reason we youths have to gain the character and the financial muscle to change the status quo and this has to be done at every strata of government. To execute an election in the country is super expensive. However, nothing comes easily. Even in Freetown, freedom is not free. We cannot abandon our heritage because of the current challenge. We will continue to participate and hopefully, things we go our way, one day. A little drop of water makes and ocean.
What can the Nigerian youths do to get to power in the current political dispensation? Are they really prepared for the task ahead?
Like I have said earlier, the youths need to build a political structure that will transverse all the states, Local governments, wards and polling units. Whoever says structure is not needed is not ready for the task ahead. This is how the democratic system has been built. A government of the people, for the people and by the people will have to be built by PEOPLE from the very minutest unit which is the polling unit. Like the saying in the bible in Matthew 26:41 “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”. The youths need to wake up, leave politics of social media and ranting behind the keypads. Though important too, they have to get involved in the physical execution of the political vision. Your strength on the media isn’t going to translate into electoral sagacity and ultimately votes. The real politics is at the grassroots.
What informed your decision to contest for the senatorial seat?
Simply the urge to impact positively on the people of my senatorial district and Osun State at large through effective representation at the National Assembly. I want to get the people fully represented at the National Assembly to ensure participating development.
You are relatively young in politics considering the socio-political system of Nigeria. Are you sure you are not being too ambitious on your senatorial aim?
Not at all. I want you to read the book “Think Big by Ben Carson and Cecil Murphy and also The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama”. I was a legislative aide, I am the Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council in Osun State for two terms running. I am also currently the IPAC Coordinator in the South-West. I am not too ambitious; I have gathered the experience over the years. We need more youths to dare these political waters, many will excel.
Political structure is very important in winning an election; and your party seems not to be well known to the people of Osun Central, how do you want to convince the electorates to vote for you?
I really don’t understand why people think our party isn’t well known. This would have been a valid assertion during the July gubernatorial elections but not in this one. We have gone the length and breadth of this senatorial district bringing a message of renewal and signing a bond with the electorate who really vote. Also, this election is taking us to a point of aligning behind personality not party which ultimately in the future will herald independent candidacy. Allied Peoples Movement (APM) is a giant in Osun Central Senatorial District and the state at large.
Vote buying is a new electoral manipulation in Nigeria; how do you think that can be curbed?
There has to be a national re-orientation. Someone brings money to buy votes but doesn’t know who you voted for right? If they bring their money, you can reject it as you are not under compulsion to take it. However, our security agents also need to see to sincerely help our electoral system. The vote buyers and sellers are not ghosts, they are Nigerians that are willingly flouting the law. So, the security agents, particularly the police to arrest and prosecute them. If I may ask, what happened to the people arrested in Ekiti and Osun during the governorship elections over vote buying? The judiciary should also support the security agents by dispensing justice on electoral matter on time.
The introduction of the Bi-modal voters accreditation system (BVAS) has been applauded by stakeholders, especially those of you in the opposition parties, do you think the machine is enough to resolve issues of Electoral malpractices in Nigeria?
BVAS is a good innovation that can be improved on. There is no system that is devoid of manipulation, hence INEC should on a daily basis reduce the occurrence of manipulations to the barest minimum. BVAS is not enough to curb election malpractices, it is to curb over voting which is just an aspect of electoral malpractices. I believe as we grow in this democracy there would be a time that the people will triumph. We will get there sooner than many expect. We all acknowledge the improvement in our electoral system; the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections could not be compared to the 2015 and 2019 general elections. And I belief the forthcoming 2023 election will be far better.
