Banky W, Nigerian singer cum politician, says those who should be in jail are the ones contesting elections and holding political offices in the country.
The 40-year-old musician spoke when he featured on Daily Digest, a Nigeria Info FM programme, on Tuesday.
Banky W said the trend is enabled by the growing apathy for political participation among Nigerians.
He said the people cannot continue to shy away from politics because they consider it to be “dirty” and expect positive change in the country’s socio-political landscape.
“We can’t sit around and during the election season, people who should be in jail or exile are the ones on the campaign posters around and are the ones who keep getting into these powerful offices in the country,” he said.
“The truth is, it will always be dirty and dangerous if everybody who is good and everybody who is credible and everybody who has good interest at heart forever sits out of the process.
“Because then we will leave the scum of the earth that we have here to occupy these seats and then we will turn around and complain that Nigeria is bad.
“But it will always be bad if we continue to indulge in apathy. And I really think that apathy is one of our biggest problems.”
The singer also disclosed that frustration over the situation of things in the country informed his decision to join politics.
“Honestly, I would say it was frustration that got me into politics. Frustration with the status quo and the plights of young Nigerians. For many today, it’s no longer about how to thrive, it’s about survival. For me, that’s a thing of frustration,” he added.
