The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has advised Nigerians against relying solely on political parties for change, urging them to rise as the real opposition.
Speaking on the state of insecurity, bad governance, and the growing disconnect between leaders and the people at his wife’s 50th birthday, Adebayo submitted: “We can be talking until the end of time. If the Nigerian people don’t become the opposition themselves, and you are relying on opposition leaders who are also politicians, nothing will change.”
He emphasised that the country’s political class, both in government and in opposition, has too often failed to prioritise the people, treating governance as a reward for winning elections rather than a responsibility to serve.
The SDP leader continued: “Politicians take elections seriously, but not governance. We’ve deviated from Chapter 2 of our Constitution. It’s time we bring back the people’s government.”
In a critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Adebayo was blunt. While refusing to politicise insecurity out of respect for victims, he described the government’s handling of national security as incompetent and directionless.
He stressed that “the President should be serious-minded and come home to address the issues.”
But rather than focusing on personalities, Adebayo insisted that the deeper issue is structural, highlighting the failure of Nigerian leadership across administrations since 1999.
“I’m not anti-Tinubu. I’m anti-bad governance. Tinubu is just the current mascot of it,” he declared.
The politician urged the citizenry to look beyond party lines and hold all leaders accountable, noting that a true solution lies not in switching political allegiances but in demanding leadership that serves.
