Nigerian comedian and entertainment figure, Gbenga Adeyinka, has advised young presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections to focus on contesting for Senate and House of Representatives seats.
Adeyinka, in a podcast interview with TheCable over the weekend, suggested that prominent candidates like Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, Kingsley Moghalu, and other aspiring leaders would make a significant impact by helping to reform Nigeria’s legislative framework.
According to Adeyinka, having these political figures in the National Assembly would place a check on presidential powers and help rewrite the country’s laws. He argued that no president would act without caution if individuals like Obi, Sowore, and Fela Durotoye were present in the Senate.
He further emphasised that politics in Nigeria has a bottom-up structure and urged young aspirants to begin from the grassroots level. He explained that professional politicians dominate the political landscape, making it difficult for newcomers to secure presidential tickets under the current structure.
Adeyinka stressed that while many young candidates aim for the presidency, their efforts would be better utilised in the legislative arm of government, where they can initiate meaningful reforms. “If Peter Obi becomes president of Nigeria with the same structure we have in place, there’s nothing he’s going to do,” Adeyinka concluded.
