2027: I’m not afraid to face Tinubu, says Adebayo
By Henry Nnaemeka
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has dismissed suggestions that sharing the Southwest region with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could weaken his chances in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking shortly after emerging as the SDP presidential flag bearer, Adebayo said the party would not rely on ethnic or regional politics, insisting that the real concerns of Nigerians were hunger, unemployment and worsening economic hardship.
“We don’t think like that in SDP. A hungry person in the South West is still hungry. Someone buying petrol at outrageous prices won’t care about regional identity,” he said during an interview.
Adebayo stated that the SDP would campaign on issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, including rising living costs, poor healthcare, unemployment, and access to education.
According to him, the party represents a clear ideological alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused of prioritising political victories over governance and social welfare.
“SDP is the party that has solutions to your social problems. It’s a party meant for ordinary people. When you wake up in the morning, you think about feeding your family, transport costs, education, food, healthcare, jobs and survival — those are the issues social democratic parties focus on,” he said.
The SDP candidate also criticised the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, arguing that a social democratic government would have considered its wider effects on transportation, food prices, housing and household incomes before taking such a decision.
“A social democrat won’t wake up and remove subsidy without thinking about the impact on transport, food, housing, jobs and people’s savings. But if you are APC, your focus is on winning elections and congratulating yourselves afterward,” he stated.
On the crisis rocking the SDP following the legal troubles involving the party’s former national chairman, Adebayo declined detailed comments, citing ethical considerations as a legal practitioner.
“Once you start with something being in court, especially someone who is at the risk of losing his liberty and facing a criminal trial, it is unethical for me to comment on it,” he said.
He, however, stressed the need for due process and accountability within the party, insisting that disciplinary procedures must follow laid-down rules.
Adebayo also alleged police involvement in the destruction that occurred at the SDP secretariat during the crisis.
“It’s the police that brought them, and the police used them to pull down the gates because they didn’t want to do it themselves,” he alleged.
The SDP flag bearer further accused the ruling APC of attempting to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Yes, we are dealing with that. It is the desire of President Tinubu to be the only person in the race,” he claimed.
On education, Adebayo criticised recent policy changes in the sector, describing them as a lowering of standards designed to weaken critical thinking among Nigerians.
“These are not reforms; they are deformations. The lowest-quality people are in government, and they want standards to fall because an educated population asks questions and challenges bad governance,” he said.
He also rejected the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, describing it as unconstitutional and harmful to young Nigerians.
“Student loans are a crime against the constitution and against the people,” Adebayo declared.
According to him, education should remain free, compulsory, and accessible, warning that failure to properly educate the youth would worsen insecurity, unemployment, and social instability across the country.
