The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticized President Bola Tinubu, saying while the president is excelling politically, he is underperforming in actual governance.
In an interview with *Vanguard*, Adebayo remarked that Tinubu has an “A1 in politics” but an “F9 in governance,” questioning how such a combination could lead to a meaningful legacy.
“You have to give President Tinubu an A1 in politics. The only problem he has with the A1 is that he tends to have F9 in governance. So how is he going to graduate into any substantive legacy? That is a problem,” Adebayo said.
He argued that Tinubu has effectively mastered the political landscape and knows how to manage the ambitions of the political elite, but lacks insight into the needs and desires of ordinary Nigerians.
“He knows the political class very well. He knows what moves and motivates them, and he knows how to recruit them, sometimes retrench them, retire them and reengage them because he knows what they want.”
However, Adebayo criticized the president’s apparent belief that political control equates to national success, warning that true opposition would not come from politicians, but from the Nigerian people.
He said, “Tinubu assumes Nigerians are not interested in politics and that if he captures institutions and politicians, there would be no opposition parties left. But the real opposition is the electorate.”
Adebayo also cautioned those who view opposition merely as a political career path, implying that many only raise concerns when they are excluded from appointments.
“It’s only when they are dropped off from the list of ministers or board appointments that they remember to make noise, so that they can be brought back,” he added.
