The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed to address Nigeria’s pressing socio-economic and political problems because his focus lies more on winning elections than on governance.
In an interview, Adebayo claimed that President Tinubu prioritizes electoral victories over effective leadership, arguing that once Tinubu wins an election, he shifts his attention to preparing for the next one rather than delivering on his mandate.
“President Tinubu’s problem is that he doesn’t want to be a winner in governance; he wants to be a winner in elections. Once he wins, he says it is over—let me start planning for the next election. As a result, his governance team can’t function properly because they are essentially a campaign team,” Adebayo said.
He cited Tinubu’s now-infamous rallying cry to his supporters before the 2023 election—that “power is not served a la carte, you have to snatch it, grab it, and run with it”—as evidence of his focus on capturing power by any means, rather than preparing for the demands of leadership.
“Now that he has grabbed and snatched power, he is in serious trouble because governance cannot be snatched. Governance requires planning, recruitment of capable individuals, and strategic execution,” Adebayo stated.
According to the SDP chieftain, President Tinubu is mismanaging Nigeria’s most vital asset—its human resources. He argued that a well-managed human resource base can, in turn, help acquire and utilize material resources effectively.
“As Commander-in-Chief, you’re managing human resources. But when you don’t put the best people in government, and you don’t lead effectively, you can’t get results,” he said.
On the role of the opposition, Adebayo emphasized that a shift in public consciousness is needed. He urged Nigerians to evaluate political parties and candidates based on what they will do in office, not what they hand out during campaigns.
“We are engaging the public in a conversation that their expectations from politicians must be based on what they will deliver when in power—not what they give on the way to power. If this mindset changes, the way we select candidates will change as well.”
He stressed the importance of competence and unity in leadership, noting that the focus should be on a candidate’s capacity to deliver, mobilize people, and unite the nation—not just their ability to finance elections.
“Let’s stop asking, ‘Does he have money to fund our election?’ and start asking, ‘Can he perform? Can he lead? Can he build a winning team?’ These are the questions that matter,” Adebayo concluded.
