Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has said that political officeholders are not impervious to criticism just because they are in government.
According to reports, Adebayo disclosed this in reaction to the purported military takeover that recently caused political unrest in Nigeria.
In response to questions during an interview on Thursday’s Politics Today program on Channels Television, Adebayo said that military control would not be beneficial.
He urged Nigerians to uphold the democratic system, pointing out that just as individuals’ lives and property are insecure, the political elite may soon experience insecurity as well.
“Democracy is fragile whether you have extreme thwarting of it by elements of military juntas or they don’t want free and fair elections and then clamp down on citizens,” he said.
Democracy is delicate everywhere in the world and needs to be safeguarded. Good administration is the best defense against upheaval, destruction, military takeovers, and the collapse of law and order.
While we wait for the government’s civilian and military authorities to provide a clear accountability for what transpired, there is a lesson to be learned.
However, I am certain that we all have a responsibility to understand the necessity of maintaining this civilian system.
“Being in a position of authority does not shield you from criticism. In the same way that Nigerians face property and life insecurity, the political elite may soon experience tenure insecurity.
