Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has met with the a delegation of foremost Niger Delta group, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Abuja.
PANDEF leadership led by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, met with Prince Adebayo during the group’s courtesy to him on Tuesday.
The visit was part of PANDEF’s consultative and conversation meeting with all the presidential candidates for the 2033 General Elections in Nigeria.
Prince Adebayo told his visitors that the entire purpose of his life is to have a united, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria.
The SDP Presidential Candidate further stated that “as I have explained to the leaders of PANDEF, the unity of Nigeria is Number one, and the entire purpose of my public life is to have a united Nigeria, there’s no room of casting a doubt or a question mark, Nigeria is our heritage and we will make it a prosperous one”.
He maintained that the Niger Delta remain a valuable component of Nigeria, not just an area that produces oil but as humans who happened to be on oil.
Earlier in his submission, the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Mr. Ken Robinson noted that the conversation with the presidential candidate of SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo is part of the PANDEF contribution to the National Development and to strengthen Nigeria Democracy.
“This is part of PANDEF contribution development, to strengthen our democracy and to ensuring that in 2023 Nigerian get the best in terms of who occupied the presidency”.
PANDEF also said there could be problems for Nigeria if power is sustained in the North next year.
He said, “The statement is not a threat and we are serious. We will mobilise our people in the creeks, in the farmlands, in the streets across Nigeria, and people who think that Nigerians should work together.
“I had said on a programme on national TV that if the two major political parties produce northern candidates, it will be a declaration of war against southern Nigeria.
“We are in a situation where an administration has operated in a system as if others don’t exist.
“We are saying it’s unfair, not proper, and it’s on record. We are taking our campaigns to the South south, we have friends in the middle belt and in northern Nigeria, we are taking it to Nigerians of goodwill and clear conscience in northern Nigeria, so that they will know that we need to work together for this country to exist, prosper, and become greater than what we are.
“We will speak to all Nigerians why the next president should come from southern Nigeria; anything otherwise, we are not saying this as a threat, Nigeria will no longer be what it has been if 2023 goes north.
“Highlighting some ‘injustices,’ he said,
“There are 17 major paramilitary intelligence agencies in the country. At the last count 14 of them are headed by persons from certain part of the country, three from southern Nigeria.
“The NNPC Limited, as it is called, has 11 key management and board members, the South-South has no person, and 80 percent of our resources come from the region, the South East has two, the South West, one.
On the Muslim-Muslim ticket of APC, he said, “You can’t close the door against your own, PANDEF will engage all of them because we’re leaders and fathers.”
