ADEBAYO QUESTIONS TINUBU’S HANDLING OF INSECURITY AND POVERTY

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what he described as inadequate attention to insecurity, poverty and other responsibilities of government. Adebayo made the comments during a television interview while presenting his views on how Nigeria could address its economic and security challenges.

Adebayo argued that the primary responsibility of government should be to protect citizens and improve their welfare. He accused successive administrations of failing to fully implement constitutional provisions and specifically criticised the Tinubu administration over its handling of government spending and the country’s economic situation.

He also challenged the argument that increased government revenue automatically means that Nigerians are better off. According to him, the purchasing power of citizens must be considered when assessing the state of the economy, stressing that higher government earnings do not necessarily translate into improved living conditions for the population.

On governance, Adebayo advocated what he described as “cooperative federalism,” under which federal and state governments would work together on major development projects. He said cooperation should cover areas including roads, education, healthcare, agriculture and security, with projects at different levels of government coordinated rather than being affected by political differences between administrations.

The SDP candidate also proposed closer cooperation among federal, state and local security structures to tackle crime. He said his wider programme, titled “Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity,” focuses on addressing poverty and insecurity while improving access to food, housing, education, healthcare and employment. Adebayo further said he was open to opposition parties working together ahead of the 2027 election and maintained that the presidency should remain an office open to every Nigerian who meets the requirements.