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…Advocates cooperative federalism
By Sunday Ani
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has described President Bola Tinubu as one of the ‘worst’ and most ‘lawless’ presidents Nigeria has ever produced, accusing his administration of failing to adequately address poverty, insecurity and other constitutional responsibilities.
He made the remarks in a television interview, where he also advocated “cooperative federalism” as an alternative approach to governance in Nigeria.
He argued that the government should be primarily concerned with the security and welfare of citizens, accusing the Tinubu administration of failing to meet those obligations.
“President Tinubu is one of the worst in the series of lawless presidents who don’t implement the Constitution. They don’t implement Section 162 of the Constitution and they don’t implement the Appropriation Act,” he said.
He also deflated the argument that increased government’s revenue automatically translates to improved economic conditions, saying the purchasing power of Nigerians must be considered.
On federalism, he said the federal and state governments should work together on development rather than allowing political differences to determine their relationship.
He explained that under his proposed cooperative federalism, the federal and state governments would coordinate projects in areas such as roads, education, healthcare, agriculture and security.
“Cooperative federalism means that the time I’m doing my federal road is the same time you are doing your state road, so that they link,” he said.
Adebayo also proposed cooperation among federal, state and local security structures.
“The state police, local government police and the federal police will work together to deal with crime,” he said.
He said such cooperation should apply regardless of the political party controlling a state, arguing that governance should be driven by common development targets rather than political loyalty.
He said his wider programme, “Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity,” was anchored on tackling poverty and insecurity while expanding access to food, housing, education, healthcare and employment.
On oppositions’ cooperation ahead of the 2027 election, he said he was prepared to accept another presidential candidate if a credible process produced one.
“Presidency is not an inheritance; it’s an office that every Nigerian can aspire to,” he said.
He added that political actors should be willing to accept an outcome that serves the country’s interests, rather than treating the presidential ticket as a personal entitlement.
