- Prince Adewole Adebayo urged Nigerians to hold National Assembly representatives accountable for the Cybersecurity levy, not President Bola Tinubu
- Adebayo emphasized that legislative action is needed to repeal the levy, urging citizens to pressure their representatives
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has urged Nigerians to hold their National Assembly representatives accountable for the Cybersecurity levy rather than blaming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Despite the Federal Government’s suspension of the levy, Adebayo stressed that the responsibility lies with the lawmakers who passed the legislation. Speaking at the Nigeria Leadership Series event hosted by the Africa Leadership Group, Adebayo clarified that President Tinubu did not enact the law; it was the National Assembly.
“Your representatives passed the law, and the media reported it when it was enacted. If you oppose the levy, stop blaming Tinubu,” he stated. Adebayo advised Nigerians to demand that their senators and representatives repeal the law within 48 hours if they oppose the levy.
He further explained that effective governance requires understanding the roles within the government. Although the president suspended the levy, Adebayo emphasized that only legislative action could permanently remove it. He urged citizens to pressure their representatives to act accordingly.
Adebayo also commented on Nigeria’s weak leadership structure, suggesting that incumbents often prefer weak successors to maintain influence. He called for a change in this mindset, advocating for recruiting leaders with strong ideas, ethics, and discipline.
“If we seek leaders better than the incumbents, we will encourage ethical and disciplined individuals in politics,” he concluded.