Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Adewole Adebayo, has argued that Nigerians should not be stereotyped as dishonest or corrupt, saying the conduct of citizens is often influenced by the examples set by those in leadership.
Adebayo made the remarks during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he spoke about leadership, his international experiences and his assessment of the character of Nigerians.
The SDP candidate said his professional career and investments had given him the legal right to live and work in 21 countries, adding that his experiences outside Nigeria had strengthened his confidence in the character of Nigerians.
According to him, he has rarely regretted employing Nigerians, describing them as compassionate and largely honest people.
“Rarely have I regretted hiring Nigerians to work for me. Nigeria has more honest people than Britain, than Americans, than anything. Nigerians have a heart of compassion,” he said.
Adebayo argued that economic hardship could push people into difficult situations, irrespective of their nationality, stressing that leaders have a responsibility to create conditions that allow citizens to live with dignity.
“It is the duty of a leader of a country to not push your people to the point of extinction and expect them to not cave under it,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as hypocrisy among some public officials who speak against corruption while allegedly benefiting from the same practices they condemn.
The SDP candidate maintained that Nigerians are capable of doing better when their leaders demonstrate integrity and provide the right example.
“We are good people, but our leaders are the worst example,” Adebayo said.
