By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Social democratic party (SDP) has promised to strengthen Nigeria’s human rights institutions and ensure institutional support for human rights and educate citizens more on the fundamentals of human right.
The party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo said these during the Presidential Town Hall on Human Rights And The 2023 Elections which held on Saturday 10th December, in commemoration of the 2022 International Human Rights day.
The town hall was organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the United Nations Nigeria.
The commission invited presidential candidates to make presentations on how they intend to protect and fulfill the human rights of Nigerians should they be elected.
Prince Adebayo said his party will bring in a new crop of leadership that recognize human rights, and provide what the citizens need to uphold their dignity, which is what human rights demand.
He said, “Chapter 2 of the constitution says that there’s a level of dignity you must give to people and to give them that dignity, you must provide certain infrastructure in the society and the government is most equipped to make those changes.
“That is why when you see the manifesto of the Social Democratic Party, why we are even called the social Democratic Party is that we believe that social investments in nutrition, in basic housing and habitats in education, in affordable health care in basic infrastructure will raise civilization to a point where there is less tension in the society”.
The SDP presidential candidate said human right like any other agenda in the society, and is a continuous engagement that requires full attention.
He further said human rights should be enshrined in Nigeria’s culture so that respecting human rights would become a part of life for everyone.
“We should look at human right as a culture. I’ve lived in many countries and in countries in which human rights are respected; it is not a government thing.
“It is that generally that their society has gotten used to human rights, where you respect the rights of people generally”, Adebayo added.
The International Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10th December in commemoration of the adoption of universal declaration on human rights.
Other presidential candidates present to speak during the townhall included; Professor Christopher Imumolen of Accord party, Hamza Al-Mustapha of AA ; Omoyele Sowore of AAC; Yabagi Yusuf Sani Jakardan of ADP; and others.
Prince Adebayo was accompanied by other members of his entourage – Khadijat Bolanle Lamidi-Okunu,
Sen. Ugochukwu Uba, Mr Patrick Anethua, Pastor Ade Alabi and Chief Godwin Osigbeme.
