In a recent interview with Channels Television, Otunba Adejare Adegbenro discussed his views on political criticism and national pride in Nigeria. He began by honoring his late grandfather, Pa Alfred Rewane, a pro-democracy activist and financier of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), emphasizing that without his efforts, Nigeria might not have the democracy it enjoys today [00:20].

He argues that some public criticism, particularly on social media, is a “complete distraction” and unproductive. He specifically addresses a comment from Loretta, who criticized the government as being run like a WhatsApp group, calling it a “stupid comment” from someone who has “lost out of favor” [02:50]. Otunba Adegbenro believes that if people truly wish to help, they should not air grievances on social media but instead contact the president directly, as such public insults are disrespectful and make the party look “stupid” [03:54].

Adegbenro also touched on the immense burden of being the president of a diverse country like Nigeria. He states that the president is not tribalistic, citing the fact that the title Jagaban is from the north, not a Yoruba title, as many people believe [05:37].

Finally, he spoke about the issue of Nigerians devaluing their country on the international stage. He questioned the patriotism of those who “take look down on your country to get cheap vote in your second country” [06:58]. He emphasized that Nigerians should remember that their passport is the “property of the federal government of Nigeria” and that they should use their platform to fight for the country, not against it [07:11].

For more on his full commentary, you can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50O9lpADtk&t=251s

Insulting Tinubu, Rubbishing Nigeria, Is A Complete Distraction To a Greater Future – Dr Adegbenro

Channels Television · 24K views