Electoral Reform: Nigerians Must Defend Their Sovereignty, Says Adebayo

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2023, Prince Adewale Adebayo, has called on Nigerians to rise in defense of their sovereignty, warning that attempts to manipulate electoral rules threaten the nation’s democracy.

Speaking at a gathering of civil society groups and concerned citizens at the National Assembly Complex, Adebayo described the event as “citizens’ participation, not a protest,” stressing that Nigerians must make such engagement a daily habit to hold their representatives accountable.

“What the National Assembly is seeing today with all of us in front of them is what they ought to see every day. There is no parliament in the world where citizens are not found in the gallery and around the parliament making one case or the other.This is not a protest, this is participation in democracy,” Adebayo said.

He accused the current administration and leadership of the National Assembly of attempting to “rig the rules of election” rather than merely rigging votes, warning that such actions undermine Nigeria’s independence.

“What the Tinubu administration is doing, with Akpabio leading the National Assembly, is trying to reverse our independence. They want to become black-skinned imperialists. They have no skill in governance, and they want to make elections an empty ritual where citizens don’t count,” he alleged.

Adebayo emphasized that while Nigerians might endure poor governance and mismanagement of resources, they must never surrender their sovereignty.

“We can lose on governance, we can lose on mismanagement of resources, but we cannot lose our sovereignty. We cannot be a people who are not free in our land,” he declared.

He described the Movement for Credible Elections as a “spiritual exercise” and a fight for honesty, fairness, and justice, urging citizens to make electoral integrity a part of national culture.

“This is not about messiah figures coming to save us. Freedom comes when we all act in our communities, churches, mosques, and workplaces to demand transparency,” he said.

Adebayo also criticized the government’s claim of arresting coup plotters while allegedly executing a “coup d’état” itself through electoral manipulation. He called on leaders to abandon such attempts and respect citizens’ rights to peaceful protest and participation.

“The earlier they abandon that attempted coup and do the right thing, the better for the country. Our president is being supervised from Washington, managed from France, but we must not allow our elections to be dictated from abroad,” he added.

Adebayo urged Nigerians to reflect on their national pledge and prayers, reminding leaders that honesty before God and citizens is essential for national progress. “You cannot say ‘so help me God’ and then live a lie. Our prayers must match our actions,” he said.