By David Odama
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has unveiled an ambitious five-point development agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections, promising to tackle insecurity, unemployment, weak institutions, poor electricity supply and low economic productivity.
Adebayo, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists and members of the Middle-Belt Forum, also criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguing that economic growth figures would have little meaning unless they translated into jobs, improved living standards, higher productivity and greater opportunities for businesses.
He identified weak institutions, poor accountability, inadequate productive capacity and what he described as “government-enabled criminality” as some of the major problems undermining Nigeria’s development.
“What is sustaining criminality and violence in Nigeria is that it is either government sponsored or government enabled,” Adebayo said.
He pledged that an SDP-led administration would dismantle structures that enable criminality and ensure that public officials were not allowed to participate in activities that threaten national security.
Adebayo also promised a comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture, with greater emphasis on intelligence gathering, community-based security and crime prevention rather than a system that responds only after attacks have occurred.
On the economy, the SDP candidate rejected what he described as an excessive focus on headline Gross Domestic Product growth as a measure of national progress.
He argued that the true measure of economic performance should be the productive capacity and welfare of Nigerians, businesses and government enterprises.
His proposed economic programme includes a full-employment strategy, improved transparency in revenue collection, stronger financial accountability and a clear separation between public officials and government contracting.
Adebayo also called for greater decentralisation of economic production, saying states and local governments should play more significant roles in sectors such as agriculture and mining.
He proposed a “promotional tax regime” aimed at protecting living wages, encouraging investment and supporting businesses to expand production instead of focusing primarily on increasing government revenue.
Adebayo described Nigeria’s mineral resources, particularly those spread across the Middle Belt, as a major economic opportunity that remains largely untapped.
According to him, properly regulated mining could create substantial employment, boost government revenue and help diversify the economy away from its dependence on petroleum.
He called for an end to what he termed the “criminalisation of mining”, arguing that the sector should be formally regulated and developed rather than left exposed to illegal operators and criminal networks.
On electricity, Adebayo said Nigeria needed to abandon what he regarded as outdated power-generation ambitions and begin planning for an economy capable of supporting large-scale industrialisation.
He proposed a national target of between 50,000MW and 75,000MW of electricity generation capacity by 2050, combining gas-fired power, solar energy and the rehabilitation of existing hydroelectric infrastructure.
“At least Nigeria now, any presidential candidate who is not giving you a plan for 50,000 megawatts is behind time,” he said.
Adebayo also criticised the current electricity market, alleging that political interests had interfered with tariff collection and other critical aspects of the sector.
He proposed restructuring electricity distribution companies and the energy procurement system to improve efficiency and deliver more reliable power to households and businesses.
On security, Adebayo said, would remain a central priority of his administration.
He promised to restructure the armed forces and wider security architecture to make them more responsive to communities while strengthening intelligence-gathering capabilities.
He argued that Nigeria could not defeat insecurity by simply deploying security forces after attacks had taken place.
Rather, he said, the government must identify and disrupt the networks and root causes responsible for sustaining violence before attacks occur.
According to him, effective security requires more than military intervention and must also involve stronger institutions, expanded economic opportunities and a government capable of identifying criminal networks and dismantling them.
The SDP candidate also outlined a foreign policy centred on international partnerships aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security, education, technology and access to global markets.
He promised to give greater attention to Nigerians living abroad, arguing that the diaspora should be deliberately integrated into the country’s development strategy and treated as a strategic partner in national development.
Adebayo’s proposals come as the SDP intensifies engagement with political and community stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, said the SDP was positioning itself to participate in a credible electoral process while contributing to Nigeria’s democratic development.
Gombe urged the Middle-Belt Forum to play a strategic role in shaping Nigeria’s political future, describing the group as an important stakeholder in the country.
“My request for them from the Middle Belt is that as one of the key stakeholders in our country, we came to unveil our manifesto and the manifesto of the candidate to them, so as we move on together toward the rescue mission of our dear country,” he said.
The SDP chairman said the party was encouraged by the reception it received from members of the Middle Belt and their understanding of Adebayo’s policy proposals.
He expressed confidence that the engagement would strengthen collaboration between the party and stakeholders in the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
With security reform, full employment, economic decentralisation, expanded electricity generation and institutional accountability at the centre of its campaign message, the SDP is positioning Adebayo as an alternative presidential contender in the 2027 election.
