By Lanre Oloyede
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo has criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing it of failing to adequately fulfil key constitutional responsibilities, particularly in addressing poverty, insecurity and citizens’ welfare.
Adebayo made the comments during a television interview, where he also advocated for what he described as “cooperative federalism” as a new approach to governance in Nigeria.
According to him, the primary responsibility of government should be the protection and welfare of citizens. He alleged that the Tinubu administration had failed to meet those obligations.
“President Tinubu is one of the worst in the series of lawless presidents who don’t implement the Constitution, and they don’t implement Section 162 of the Constitution, and they don’t implement the Appropriation Act,” he alleged.
The SDP candidate also challenged the notion that increased government revenue necessarily translated into improved living conditions for Nigerians and argued that purchasing power and the ability of citizens to afford basic necessities should be considered when assessing economic performance.
On federalism, Adebayo called for closer cooperation between the Federal Government and state governments, regardless of political differences or party affiliations.
He said his proposed model of cooperative federalism would involve federal and state authorities coordinating development projects in areas including roads, education, healthcare, agriculture and security.
“Cooperative federalism means that the time I’m doing my federal road, that’s the same time you are doing your state road, so that they link,” he explained.
Adebayo also proposed greater coordination among federal, state and local security structures to improve the response to crime.
“The state police, local government police, the federal police will work together to deal with crime,” he said.
He maintained that such cooperation should not depend on which political party controls a particular state, arguing that governments should focus on shared development objectives rather than political loyalty.
The presidential candidate said his broader programme, tagged “Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity,” is focused on reducing poverty and insecurity while expanding access to food, housing, education, healthcare and employment.
On possible opposition cooperation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Adebayo said he would be willing to support another presidential candidate if a credible process produced such an outcome.
“Presidency is not an inheritance; it’s an office that every Nigerian can aspire to,” he said.
He added that political actors should be prepared to accept outcomes that serve the national interest rather than regard the presidential ticket as a personal entitlement.
