The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the Federal Government’s student loan programme, describing it as ineffective and inadequate in addressing the high cost of education in Nigeria.
In a statement, Adebayo argued that the most effective solution to improving access to education would be to reduce its cost, rather than burdening students with loans that are poorly administered.
“I don’t agree with them on their student loan. All you need to do is bring the cost of education down, and an average person will be able to go to school without needing a loan,” he said.
“But even with the loan, they are not able to administer it properly. The Tinubu presidency is not a government. It may be a political movement that has now found itself in power.
“They can continue to strengthen themselves politically by capturing more governors, senators, and parties, but they are not governing.”
Adebayo also warned President Bola Tinubu against focusing on political coalitions ahead of the 2027 elections, urging him to address growing public discontent.
“The president knows those in the coalition. They’re all friends—people he has taken thousands of pictures with. What he should be worried about is the resentment of the people and the real problems they’re facing. It’s not about billboards and posters,” he said.
He further argued that the Tinubu administration has failed to function as a proper government, stating that what exists is merely a “presidency,” not an administration.
“If we’re being fair, we should talk about the Tinubu presidency, not a Tinubu administration, because there’s no administration going on. What you have is an imperial majesty in the presidency. They’re not focused on governance but politics.”
Adebayo also criticised the government’s economic management, especially its failure to produce a workable national budget in two consecutive years.
“They have not been able to write a single good budget. They’ve now presented two, and the second is worse than the first. They are not getting a grip on employment, poverty, or the economy,” he said.
He insisted that an administration should be focused on service delivery, not just political power.
“An administration should not be a campaign organisation rolled into the state house. It should be about providing water, ensuring air quality, and leading the economy. But we have not seen any sign of that.”
According to Adebayo, President Tinubu and his allies appear more focused on consolidating political power and expanding business empires rather than solving the country’s pressing problems.
“What we are witnessing is a political chess game while the entire house is burning. They are using government time and resources to build political machines,” he said.
However, Adebayo commended President Tinubu for visiting Katsina State to interact with military personnel fighting insurgency, describing it as a rare but commendable act.
“The president’s decision to visit our troops in Katsina, instead of hobnobbing with political power brokers, gladdened my heart. That day, the president acted like a true commander-in-chief, and it boosted the morale of our armed forces,” he said.
He concluded by stating that any person, including himself, who aspires to lead the country must be committed to good governance.
“Anyone who wants to be president must be ready to offer good governance. If the current president is doing that, we’ll all be glad. But if not, we have every reason to be angry. Right now, President Tinubu is not giving good governance—because he’s not giving governance at all.”
