…Says Presidency Must Answer for Economic Hardship, Rising Inflation
…Warns Against Political Interference in Corruption Cases
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has launched a strong criticism of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declaring that the 2027 general election would revolve around issues of hardship, insecurity and economic decline.
Speaking during an interview on national affairs, Adebayo said Nigerians were enduring severe economic pain due to what he described as poor governance and ineffective economic policies under the current administration.
According to him, the ruling government would ultimately be judged by its performance rather than political alliances or influence.
“You cannot defeat President Tinubu by merely rousing anger. You have to raise issues because he is in charge of government today and, on objective analysis, he is not delivering,” Adebayo stated.
The former presidential candidate argued that the rising cost of living had pushed millions of Nigerians into deeper hardship despite their efforts to earn a living.
“A Nigerian who owns a Toyota Corolla did not bargain for spending N60,000 to fill the tank when his salary is less than N200,000,” he said.
Adebayo maintained that inflation, unemployment and worsening insecurity had weakened public confidence in government, stressing that ordinary citizens were now carrying the burden of policies that had failed to stimulate productivity and economic growth.
He also criticised the administration over the persistent electricity crisis, saying the country’s power sector had shown little improvement despite promises made during the 2023 election campaign.
“President Tinubu himself cannot give himself electricity. He has to go off-grid in the State House because the national grid failed him,” Adebayo said.
The SDP chieftain further argued that the president would eventually have to explain key decisions taken since assuming office, particularly concerning debt accumulation, economic management and appointments into public offices.
“He has to account for how much debt he has accumulated on behalf of present and unborn generations. Presidency is a job, and every person with a job must render account to those who employed him,” he added.
On corruption and allegations of selective prosecution, Adebayo insisted that criminal investigations and prosecutions should remain independent of political influence.
“It is not an APC government or SDP government that should take people to jail. Law enforcement investigates, the judiciary adjudicates and sanctions are applied without political coloration,” he stated.
He warned against what he described as a growing perception that politicians facing prosecution could escape accountability by aligning with the ruling party.
“We don’t want a situation where people facing trial are told that if they switch to the ruling party, they can obtain forgiveness or amnesty,” he added.
Commenting on speculations linking former President Goodluck Jonathan to the 2027 presidential race, Adebayo said the former leader had a constitutional right to contest if he so desired.
“If he wants to run, he should come out openly and address Nigerians. The presidency of Nigeria is not an office people are dragged into by speculation,” he said.
Adebayo expressed confidence that the SDP would emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Nigerians were increasingly seeking a credible alternative focused on governance, economic recovery and citizens’ welfare.
“We are going to present Nigerians with a clear alternative that puts the welfare of the people first,” he declared.
