Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has delivered a scathing assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2025, describing the year as one marked by abuse of power, constitutional violations and deepening hardship for Nigerians.

Adebayo spoke during an interview on the sidelines of the Adebayo National Marathon in Ondo State, now in its second year, where he also outlined his broader concerns about governance, the economy, security and Nigeria’s democratic future under the current administration.

Assessing the Tinubu government’s performance, Adebayo said 2025 symbolised a sharp decline in governance standards and public accountability.

“For the people in government, 2025 has been a year of abuse. For the media, it has been a year of distraction. For Nigerians, it is a year where credibility has been removed from politics.”

Adebayo accused the administration of what he called general unseriousness, alleging repeated violations of the Appropriation Act and constitutional procedures.

“You cannot be violating three appropriation acts at the same time and pretend that governance is normal,” Adebayo said, adding that attempts to repeal an existing budget before its life span raised fundamental constitutional questions.

Adebayo dismissed government claims of improved economic indicators, particularly on inflation and food prices, arguing that such statistics do not reflect the lived realities of Nigerians.

“There is no part of Nigeria where transportation costs have reduced. There is no part where rent has come down. Cement, building materials, airfare, school fees — nothing is cheaper,” he said.

According to him, ordinary Nigerians are forced to borrow to pay rent, school fees and basic expenses, despite official claims of economic recovery.

“If inflation is reducing, which item in the basket of goods has actually become cheaper?” he asked.

One of Adebayo’s strongest criticisms centred on education policy, particularly the student loan scheme, which he described as unconstitutional and dangerous.

“In Nigeria, education is supposed to be affordable under the constitution,” he said. “No young person should be forced to take a loan to go to school.”

He warned that the policy would saddle young Nigerians with long-term debt, worsening unemployment and poverty, rather than empowering the next generation. “This is how you enslave youths economically,” Adebayo added.

Security and International Image
On national security, Adebayo argued that Nigeria’s global standing has deteriorated significantly under the current government.

“Nigeria has become a country that can be openly criticised and harassed internationally,” he said, recalling a time when foreign criticism of Nigeria attracted a strong domestic reaction.

He also faulted the government for failing to demonstrate clear leadership in tackling insecurity, insisting that Nigeria has the capacity to secure itself without appearing dependent or disorganised.

Addressing concerns about Nigeria sliding into a one-party state, Adebayo said the political elite had effectively merged into a single interest group driven by power and self-preservation.

“What people call a one-party state is really a one-party elite,” he said, noting the defection of governors and politicians across party lines into the ruling APC.

However, he expressed confidence that such an arrangement would not last. “The real opposition will not come from the political class. It will come from the Nigerian people,” he said.

Adebayo urged Nigerians to stop rationalising hardship and to confront governance failures honestly.

He called for the revival of civil society, a more independent media and active participation of credible citizens in politics as the only path to democratic renewal.

“The only thing Nigerians truly have is the right to vote and organise,” Adebayo said. “If we don’t use it, nothing will change.”