The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo has called for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s political system.
Adebayo said there was the need to usher in new and rehabilitated leaders with genuine intentions to serve the people.
He said this at the 2024 reunion programme of House of Representatives members from 1979 till date.
Adebayo, who was the keynote speaker at the event, said Nigerians believe that politicians have no principles with little or no integrity, a situation he said created a negative image of the country to the outside world.
While commending the convener of the event, Rt Honourable Mulikat Akande Adeola, he urged former and present lawmakers to always come out as a body to speak out against injustice and maladministration where and when necessary.
“The House of Representatives members are the closest parliamentarians to the people at the federal level,” he said, regretting that those who were supposed to be the closest were no longer being trusted by their constituents.
“Let us be honest with ourselves, where are we today? How far have we travelled?
“We should be honest and agree that we are nowhere near where we are supposed to be. I believe that is why this gathering is now called upon to continue the dialogue.
“Again, truth be told, we must re-habilitate the political class so that the people of Nigeria can believe in their leaders.
“When you go somewhere and say, I am a politician, people should be happy to talk to you, they should respect what they do, and respect what they say either as an individual or as a government.
“If this happens, our country will be respected outside Nigeria. But today it is a contrast.
“We expect people who are suffering, people who are hungry, and people who cannot afford to earn a living to respect what the political class is saying?
“What Nigerians are saying is that politicians have no principles,” he said.
The former Presidential Candidate re-emphasised that for a better Nigeria to be guaranteed for everyone, there should be strong institutions including security architecture, judiciary, civil service, and industrial sector.
“In a country with a high unemployment rate, every citizen sees politics as a career business for self-serving and not for public service,” he lamented.
Earlier in their separate remarks, the convener of the 2024 house of representatives reunion, Rt Honourable Mulikat Akande Adeola and former speaker of the 8th Assembly who spoke on behalf of the presiding officer, Rt Honourable Yakubu Dogara, described the reunion as first of its kind, with assurances that they would continue to meet periodically to discuss the state of the nation and issues affecting the parliament.
The speakers said that despite the current economic doldrums of the country, issues of nation-building and patriotic criticism should be their watch words.