Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has dismissed the strength of the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying its leaders failed to provide credible solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
Speaking in an interview with journalists, Adebayo revealed that before settling with ADC, the coalition had approached the SDP but failed to convince its leadership.
“They came to us before they went to ADC. We had a robust conversation with them, but they had no answer to 99 percent of our questions. We told them to carry whatever they were carrying to the next bus stop. It doesn’t mean we don’t share the same objective that Tinubu should not remain in office beyond 2027, but they couldn’t answer our questions,” he said.
Adebayo insisted that Nigeria’s political system is plagued not by acronyms of political parties but by entrenched tendencies that prioritize money and power over accountability, ethics, and governance. According to him, politicians who defect from one party to another without shedding these tendencies only “pollute” the new platform.
On the state of the SDP, Adebayo rejected claims of factionalisation, insisting that the party remains intact, with its organs functioning according to law and order. He acknowledged internal disputes, including the suspension of National Secretary Olu Agunloye by the National Working Committee, but said such actions were consistent with the party’s constitution.
He described the SDP as ideologically rooted, dating back to its 1989 origins as a left-leaning party, and argued that new politicians with fresh ideas are what Nigeria needs to escape its cycle of poverty and insecurity.
When asked about former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s calls for voters to support SDP candidates, Adebayo said El-Rufai was not on the party’s membership register but welcomed his endorsement. “Anyone who says vote SDP is my friend,” he remarked.
Adebayo also criticized President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for flouting electoral laws by engaging in early campaigns and saturating the public space with billboards. He argued that the opposition is forced into campaign mode because the government itself is campaigning rather than governing.
On economic matters, Adebayo downplayed the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s recent commendation of Tinubu for “stabilizing” the economy, saying such praise was based on manipulated statistics rather than the lived reality of Nigerians.
“What Tinubu has done is akin to a pilot who ran into a storm, lost his way, and then merely managed to stabilize the aircraft. He still has to find his bearing and altitude. Nigerians judge the economy from their stomachs, rent, energy costs, and school fees — not from re-based statistics,” Adebayo said.
He concluded by stressing that real change in 2027 can only come from Nigerians rejecting recycled politicians and demanding leaders with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to reducing poverty and insecurity.
