Thursday, October 15, 2026 -The 2027 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo has called on President Bola Tinubu to step aside, saying Nigeria needs relief from the current administration.
Adebayo made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on
Wednesday in reaction to Tinubu’s plan to limit his participation in physical
campaigns across some states ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The President had made the announcement during the
inauguration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign
Council in Abuja, urging party members to take the APC message to Nigerians
across states and local government areas while he continued to focus on
governance.
Reacting, Adebayo argued that Tinubu’s stated intention to
avoid the demands of physical campaigning raised questions about his ability to
govern effectively.
In the statement signed by his campaign’s Chief
Communications Adviser, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate described
Tinubu as a “president in absentia,” insisting that the country required active
and visible leadership.
“Nigeria is too complex, too dynamic, and currently too
distressed to be governed by remote control,” Adebayo said.
He accused the President of repeatedly being absent at
critical moments, citing what he described as extended medical trips presented
as working visits, absences during national emergencies and the use of
representatives to communicate government policies.
The SDP candidate said the President had failed to provide
the reassurance Nigerians needed during difficult periods.
“We have seen repeated instances where the President is
visibly missing when the country needs reassurance.
“From unannounced foreign trips during critical economic
decisions to his complete silence during widespread regional protests, he has
consistently acted like a president in absentia. If you are too tired to
campaign, you are too weak to govern,” he said.
Adebayo further alleged that Tinubu’s decision to stay away
from parts of the campaign trail was driven by fear of public reaction rather
than political strategy.
“The excuse of bowing out of the 2027 campaign is a cowardly
smokescreen. The truth is that the President is terrified of the Nigerian
people,” he argued.
He linked the President’s alleged unpopularity to the
effects of the administration’s economic policies, including the consequences
of fuel subsidy removal, rising inflation and currency instability.
According to Adebayo, the economic difficulties facing
households have made the President reluctant to engage directly with voters.
“He knows the pain his bad policies have inflicted on
families. He is hiding because he cannot face public anger, and he knows any
appearance on a campaign trail will be met with collective booing of a betrayed
populace,” he said.
The SDP candidate also urged Tinubu to relinquish power,
arguing that the country’s interests should take precedence over the
administration’s political ambitions.
“It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let
this country breathe,” Adebayo said.
He also urged the administration to put national interest
ahead of political survival and be transparent about Tinubu’s capacity to lead
for the remainder of his term.
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