SDP candidate Adewole Adebayo tells Tinubu to step aside, criticising his campaign plans and questioning his leadership amid Nigeria’s economic challenges
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to step aside, arguing that Nigeria needs relief from the current administration.
Also read: 2027: We’ll Chase Tinubu Out If He Rejects Defeat – Momodu
Adebayo made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday in response to Tinubu’s announcement that he intended to limit his physical participation in campaign activities across some states ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Tinubu made the announcement during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, urging party members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across states and local government areas while he focused on governance.
However, Adebayo questioned the decision, arguing that the country needed an active and visible leader.
“Nigeria is too complex, too dynamic, and currently too distressed to be governed by remote control,” he said.
In the statement signed by his campaign’s Chief Communications Adviser, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate described Tinubu as a “president in absentia”.
He alleged that the President had repeatedly been unavailable 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.
Adebayo argued that Nigerians needed reassurance from the President during periods of uncertainty.
“We have seen repeated instances where the President is visibly missing when the country needs reassurance,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as the President’s silence during regional protests and his absence during important economic decisions.
The allegations were made by Adebayo in his statement; the report did not include a response from the Presidency.
Adebayo further alleged that Tinubu’s plan to limit physical campaign appearances was motivated by concerns about public reaction rather than a strategic decision.
“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 said.
He linked what he described as growing public dissatisfaction to the economic effects of the administration’s policies, including fuel subsidy removal, rising inflation and currency instability.
According to Adebayo, the economic pressures facing households have made direct engagement with voters more difficult for the President.
“He knows the pain his bad policies have inflicted on families. He is hiding because he cannot face public anger,” he said.
These remarks reflect the opposition candidate’s assessment of the administration and its policies.
The SDP candidate urged Tinubu to prioritise the country’s interests over his political ambitions, insisting that Nigerians needed leadership that could respond directly to their concerns.
“It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” Adebayo said.
He also called for greater transparency regarding Tinubu’s capacity to lead for the remainder of his term.
Also read: 2027: We’ll Chase Tinubu Out If He Rejects Defeat – Momodu
The exchange comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election, with campaign activities and competing assessments of the President’s performance increasingly shaping political debate.
