The choice of running mates revealed the characteristics of parties and candidates - the presidential candidate of the SDP

Prince Adewole Adebayo, a lawyer and candidate for the presidency of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), talks to OSARETIN OSADEBAWME about his intention to reconstruct the 1993 victory by the then SDP, as well as only on matters concerning the 2023 general election.

What is your mission in politics, given your background as an investor and lawyer?

I am an independent person, just like the late Chief MKO. Abiola was not in government. He was known in accounting and accounting, he went into communication, media and agriculture. The same can be said of me. I have investments in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, finance. I have been an employer of labor over time and have survived the damage that various governments have caused to the economy. I managed to survive it. Even the federal government has awarded me the employer of the year award several times.

My state regularly honors me with Taxpayer of the Year. I have a clear idea that in this country, our resources are wasted. There is a lot of money in the government and the resources are mostly unaccounted for and stolen by people who are part of the government. They are just there to loot. So, Nigeria's problems cannot be solved until we comply with Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution. The document itself is very suspicious of those in power. He doesn't want to give them free rein to do whatever they want.

In light of Article 29(1) of the Electoral Law, does a party have a window to change the name of the vice-presidential candidate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC )?

What I can say is this. INEC has lawyers. INEC does not lack legal advice. People just make interpretations as part of a political contest. If your opponent takes an action, you start critiquing them. What I know is that some political parties go so far as to be ridiculous. If you want to become president in Nigeria, you must appoint a vice president. You must be a highly responsible person, respect the office of president to know that a vice president can be president at any time.

If you don't have a good knowledge of the country and you haven't been able to select someone suitable to be vice president, it shows that you will be a very bad president. Obviously, because of all the pressure of time and all kinds of pressures, you have to tell people that you are capable of giving us a good replacement, if the circumstances require it. Second, it shows that you are fraudulent. If you're going to court to make an affidavit, submit the affidavit to the INEC you want to serve as vice president, only for you to go on national television that you're just a placeholder. /p>

This shows the fraudulent nature of these people. You cannot go to court to swear an affidavit to a charge that you do not intend to serve. So, if the circumstances warrant it and it can happen at any time, for family reasons, for health reasons, for other reasons, someone you have chosen as vice-president, is not in able to continue.

The law allows you to replace yourself if this person withdraws. You cannot prevent them from withdrawing. You're not going to collapse because someone who was running with you isn't running anymore. If the person withdraws within the time allowed for the substitution, the political party is authorized to propose another person. From now on, the definition of the candidates includes the candidates for the position of vice-president and vice-president, does not emerge from the primary, the position of vice-president is not contested. It is a person who is elected who will recommend someone and once that person accepts and is qualified, that person becomes a candidate and everything else that applies to a candidate will apply. I don't want us to go into that. I don't give INEC legal advice, they know what you're supposed to do; a politician is expected to obey the law. Thus, each political party should give advice to itself. I do not want to participate in this debate because many arguments are self-serving. But the law is clear. The INEC has issued guidelines based on its understanding of electoral law. No one has gone to court to challenge the commission over the guidelines, which allow the substitution of those with genuine cases. Those likely to get in trouble are those who said they were placeholders because it shows the affidavit they swore is false; that they lied under oath.

What is the main objective of the SDP in the first year, if elected by Nigerians?

A year is too far. A year for a starving man is a long time. First, the SDP will offer help during the campaign. He will let people know that Nigeria's problems are unsolvable; they are not even extremely difficult to solve. So, let's give them an overview. We you...