Follow Us on Google
By Sunday Ani
Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security, governance and democracy, noting that Nigeria had become increasingly vulnerable due to what he described as weak and negligent leadership.
Speaking in an interview, he said insecurity had defined Nigeria’s recent history, with bandits and terrorists overrunning communities, killing and kidnapping residents, and looting property. He argued that security demands realism and data-driven planning, not optimism, accusing successive administrations and the current one under Tinubu of failing to act decisively as commanders-in-chief.
According to him, President Tinubu has not demonstrated a clear understanding of his constitutional roles as commander-in-chief, saying the president had failed to properly supervise the armed forces or articulate a coherent national security plan. He dismissed claims that Tinubu merely inherited the crisis, noting that the president campaigned on fixing insecurity but has not delivered meaningful results.
He also criticised Nigeria’s growing security engagement with the United States, describing it as a reaction to domestic failure rather than a diplomatic success. He warned that Tinubu’s handling of insecurity had exposed Nigeria to foreign pressure, insisting that international cooperation should be limited, proactive and firmly driven by Nigeria’s own priorities. He blamed corruption and collusion within the government and security institutions for sustaining insecurity, alleging that some officials were profiting from the prolonged conflict.
Other News
On claims of religious persecution, he said Nigeria has moved beyond debates over labels, stressing that communities across the country are living in fear regardless of faith. He argued that securing lives and communities should be the government’s foremost responsibility, stressing that unchecked corruption within the security sector had weakened national sovereignty.
He further warned against foreign troops’ presence on Nigerian soil and condemned poor governance as the greatest threat to democracy, even as he rejected coups and unconstitutional seizures of power. He criticised the rejection of electoral reforms, accusing beneficiaries of flawed elections of resisting change, while insisting that incumbents, including Tinubu and the APC, remain beatable if citizens mobilise.
Looking ahead, he expressed confidence that the SDP could emerge victorious in a “people’s election,” calling for the emergence of a new political class to replace what he described as an entrenched elite feeding off public resources.
He warned Nigerians against a second Tinubu term, portraying the president as an imperial figure rather than a servant leader, and urged voters to seek accountable, people-centred leadership in the next election.
