Why Adebayo wants Tinubu to account for hunger, debt, electricity failure

*Tinubu says fuel subsidy removal saved Nigeria from bankruptcy 

By Our Correspondent 

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has declared that the 2027 election would be a referendum on hardship, insecurity and economic decline that have characterised the current government led by President Bola Tinubu.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Prince Adewole Adebayo 

Speaking during an interview on national issues, Adebayo said Nigerians were facing unprecedented suffering as a result of what he described as poor governance, rising inflation and failed economic policies.

According to him, the administration would have to defend its performance before Nigerians rather than rely on political strength or alliances.

“You cannot defeat President Tinubu by mere rousing anger. You have to raise issues because he is in charge of government today and, on objective analysis, he is not delivering,” he said.

The SDP standard-bearer argued that soaring living costs had left millions of citizens struggling to survive despite working hard

“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 stated.

He said worsening inflation, insecurity and unemployment had eroded public confidence in the government, stressing that ordinary Nigerians now bear the burden of economic policies that had failed to improve productivity.

Adebayo also attacked the administration’s handling of electricity supply, saying the country’s power crisis remained unresolved despite campaign promises made during the 2023 election.

“President Tinubu himself cannot give himself electricity. He has to go off-grid in the State House because the national grid failed him,” he said.

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He maintained that the president would eventually have to explain his stewardship to Nigerians, including rising debt levels, economic management and appointments made since he assumed office.

“He has to account for how much debt he has accumulated on behalf of the present and unborn generations. Presidency is a job, and every person with a job must render account to those who employed him,” Adebayo added.

On corruption and allegations of selective justice, he insisted that criminal investigations and prosecutions should be free from political interference.

“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 said.

He, however, warned against situations where politicians facing prosecution allegedly seek refuge in the ruling party to escape accountability.

“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 speculation surrounding former President Goodluck Jonathan and the 2027 presidential race, Adebayo said Jonathan had the constitutional right to contest if he chose to do so.

“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.

He expressed confidence that the SDP would defeat the ruling party in 2027, insisting that Nigerians were already demanding a credible alternative focused on governance and welfare.

“We are going to present Nigerians with a clear alternative that puts the welfare of the people first,” he said.

But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday said the removal of fuel subsidy by his administration saved the country from imminent bankruptcy and laid the foundation for the gradual recovery of the nation’s economy.

He spoke when he hosted state governors who came to celebrate with him the Sallah and the third anniversary of the administration. 

In attendance were the Governors of Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Taraba, Niger, Ekiti, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Adamawa, Benue, Enugu, Ogun, and Kogi States, as well as the deputy governors of Borno and Kano. 

President Tinubu acknowledged that the decision to remove the subsidy was difficult and painful for many Nigerians, but stressed that it became necessary to rescue the country from fiscal collapse and restore economic stability.

"It was challenging at the time, but we survived. We face litigation and accusations. We survived them. Instead of bankruptcy,  Nigeria has survived. The economy has recovered. It is growing. Agriculture is booming.

"Today I was watching some clips of the Sokoto -Badagry axis. Imagine how many dams on that corridor for irrigation, for farm land, for electricity. Well, many of you have survived and promoted the perseverance of many of our people, asking them to trust this government, and you have built that trust around one person: my leadership. I thank you very much’’ the President said.

President Tinubu also thanked Nigerians for their patience, resilience and understanding, assuring them that the difficult phase was gradually yielding positive outcomes.

The President said ongoing reforms in infrastructure, agriculture, social investment, foreign exchange management and fiscal discipline were beginning to restore investor confidence and improve economic prospects.

President Tinubu also commended the Governors for their cooperation, support and commitment to national development, noting that the partnership between the federal and state governments played a vital role in stabilising the economy.

`` I'm glad governors are no longer borrowing from the federal government and asking for interventions and not knowing how to survive, how to pay salaries, no more. You kept the spirit, you kept the hope. You persuaded our people to be patient and endure these three years of painful reform, during which we put the economy on a reset. Today, the benefits are showing.

"The economy has recovered. Macroeconomic indices are doing very well. Construction is ongoing on roads and infrastructure; the ones abandoned have been rehabilitated.

"The housing industry is coming on very well. Agriculture will prosper again. We will achieve food sovereignty if we utilise the land that is in your possession and in your various states effectively,’’ he said.

The President assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to implement people-oriented policies aimed at reducing hardship, creating jobs, strengthening food security and ensuring inclusive economic growth.

Vice President Kashim Shettima commended the President's doggedness, tenacity and courage in confronting corruption in Nigeria's oil industry in the name of the fuel subsidy.

`` Your Excellency, Mr President, this is the essence of your leadership. You did not come to power in the season of ease. You came at a time when the house required more than a canter. It required a builder with the courage to examine the foundation you inherited.

``In that defining hour, you choose not to postpone the surgery. You choose not to massage the wound. You choose to confront the contradictions that have held this country hostage for 50 years; that is the miracle of your courage.