By Peter Adelowo
The Social Democratic Party, SDP, Presidential Candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has urged the media to defend democracy and remain committed to the interests of Nigerians.
Adebayo who made the call at an interactive session with political editors and media executives in Abuja, identified poverty and insecurity as the major challenges facing the country.
He said the media should remain independent, balanced and fair, but should not be neutral on issues such as insecurity, corruption, poverty and threats to democracy.
Adebayo also urged the media to give all political parties adequate space to present their programmes ahead of the 2027 elections.
He criticised the commercialisation of political coverage, saying Nigerians should be exposed to different political ideas before making their choices at the polls.
On opposition cooperation, Adebayo who said the SDP was working with other parties to promote free, fair and credible elections stressed that the cooperation was aimed at protecting votes and preventing electoral manipulation.
He said the SDP remained committed to democracy, recalling the party’s experience during the annulment of the 1993 presidential election and subsequent military rule.
Adebayo also defended his proposal for petrol to sell at about ₦200 per litre stressing that Nigerians earning local wages should not be forced to pay international prices for locally available resources.
He explained that the proposal would involve using crude meant for domestic refining and using the proceeds from other petroleum products to support the economy and public transportation.
On Ebola, Adebayo called for transparency and proper public health information urging Nigerians to observe health precautions and seek medical attention when necessary.
The SDP Vice Presidential Candidate, Professor Usman Bugaje, who said poverty and insecurity were closely linked noted that insecurity prevents farmers from accessing their farms and worsens food shortages.
Bugaje who urged journalists to investigate communities affected by insecurity and report the experiences of displaced Nigerians also called for stronger food and health security through increased local production.
He further called for a change in Nigeria’s political culture, saying leadership should be based on competence and capacity rather than ethnicity, religion or political rotation.
The National Chairman of the SDP, Professor Sadiq Gombe, urged the media to help educate Nigerians on the party’s policy document expressing confidence that the SDP would win the 2027 election and tackle poverty and insecurity.
Earlier, the Chief Media and Communications Adviser to the Adebayo-Bugaje Campaign, Mark Adebayo, who said the media parley was organised to promote transparency and direct engagement with the candidates explained that the SDP ticket was focused on economic growth, security, institutional reform and inclusive governance.
