The Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Afe Babalola (SAN) is of the opinion that the 2023 presidential election would not be won by the best candidate but the candidate with the highest spending capacity.
Babalola said this while speaking at a media briefing in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
The legal luminary expressed fear about the forthcoming general election, saying the poll would only reproduce those who have brought the country to its current state.
He said, “It is not who can make a difference that will win this election, I repeat, it is not the person who has all it takes — age, health, education, and patriotism, that will win the election; the winner of this election I can bet it, is going to be the person who has made money in this country.
“It is the person who has the money that will win.”
Reiterating his earlier advice, Babalola called for the suspension of the 2023 general election to allow the Federal Government to come up with a new constitution before the election can be held.
According to him, any election conducted under the 1999 constitution cannot produce leaders that would positively change the fortunes of the country.
“I still stand by my suggestion that any election conducted under the present 1999 Constitution cannot and will not produce new leaders with new ideas, rather any election conducted with the 1999 Constitution will merely result in recycling people who have brought Nigeria to grinding poverty, unemployment, under-funded education, and insecurity.”
Babalola maintained that only a new constitution with stringent conditions for political candidates could save Nigeria from a total collapse.
“A man who wants to rule the whole country or any part of the country, ought to be screened. Has he ever worked before, what type of work did he do, did he steal there, was he a good manager, does he pay his taxes regularly, what contributions has he made to society?
“You cannot just come from nowhere and become president, become governor, become a member of house; these are transactional businessmen”, he said.
The legal icon submitted that Nigeria’s current reality demands a new constitution similar to the 1960 and 1963 constitutions.