The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu on the worsening security situation in the country, describing him as one who has failed to take governance very seriously.
Speaking with Journalists in separate interviews during the 50th birthday celebration of his wife, Lillian Adebayo, the former Presidential candidate who blamed the lack power to govern on the part of President Tinubu for the continued killings in Plateau and Benue States, stressed that the renewed killings in Plateau and Benue States were an indication of the Tinubu administration’s failure.
Adebayo who noted that the time has come for Nigerians to come together and to rise to take back the country from bad leaders, urged that the president restrategise the country’s security architecture to address the ravaging insecurity.
He said, “What shocked me about Nigerians is that they are shocked about President Tinubu.
“Because we knew that these people don’t take governance seriously. They take elections seriously but not governance. The first duty of the president and the commander in chief is national security.
“It is a disappointment what is happening in Plateau and Benue. I personally don’t like to politicise security. I think the president must be serious-minded and address the issue.”
Speaking further, Adebayo who urged Nigerians to form a unified coalition and opposition against the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections, said that to defeat the APC, Nigerians needs a coalition, not merely a coalition of political actors.
The 2023 Presidential candidate on the platform of his party has also declared his intention to contest in the 2027 presidential election, just as he said, “One of the mistakes Nigerians made was not listening to those who spoke to them. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu never addressed Nigerians and, as such, has shown little concern for their welfare.
“I will run in 2027, and the party knows I am running. We will make our intentions clear.”
Adebayo who disclosed that the SDP was open to discussions on coalition, however warned that the party would not be used as a “getaway car” for any political conspiracy or personal vendetta.
He said, “We are listening to the talk about coalition. But what we don’t want is to be used as a getaway car for a conspiracy and robbery we didn’t plan. If the coalition is for the good of the Nigerian people, SDP is available.
“But if it’s just a crime center for those who were once with Tinubu and now want revenge, they should go back and settle their scores with him.
“If you’re in politics to ensure Nigerians aren’t shortchanged, you’re welcome. But if it’s about personal grudges over unfulfilled promises, we want no part in it.”
Also speaking with Journalists at the event, former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore picked holes in the ongoing effort by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and other political figures to form a new coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sowore said, “I support coalitions and opposition. But not the kind that has people like El-Rufai. When the time comes, the moment they are offered what they want, they will go back to where they came from,” Sowore said.
He therefore lampooned those involved in the process, saying that many of the individuals involved in the planned coalition lack the credibility to champion real change.
“The APC was a coalition. Did you forget? The people who are asking to form another coalition were former APC members. In fact, most of them were Buhari cabinet members who are supposed to be in prison forming a union of prisoners, not coalitions,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Peter Ameh, said a coalition to change Nigeria’s leadership is long overdue, accusing President Tinubu of “governing remotely.”
Ameh said, “For me, every gathering should involve discussions about how Nigeria can move forward. The suffering under this incompetent governance is unacceptable. Hunger is everywhere, Nigerians are depressed, and tariffs on electricity, data, and general costs of living have skyrocketed since Tinubu took office.
“This coalition reflects the pain and hardship Nigerians are enduring. Going into 2027, I can say clearly that the coalition is a good step.”
On his part, the Lagos State Chairman of SDP and Chairman of Chairmen, Hon. Femi Olaniyi Ferrari who boasted that his party provides Nigerians with the opportunity to address the country’s challenges, said, “We can all understand what Nigerians are going through. We asked for change, but the change has shortchanged us”