Prince Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has described President Bola Tinubu as a master of politics but a failure in governance. In an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Adebayo said Tinubu “has A1 in politics but F9 in governance,” criticising the president for focusing on political gains rather than solving the country’s pressing problems.
Adebayo, a lawyer and businessman, said recent defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are not surprising. He claimed most of the politicians jumping ship are doing so out of personal interest, not ideology.
“The defections are not based on any improvement in governance,” he said. “They are simply people waiting at the bus stop of the opposition until the next ruling party bus arrives.”
He added that good governance, not political games, would stop the cycle of defections. “Once we fix poverty, insecurity, and corruption, politicians won’t need to switch sides for survival.”
On Tinubu’s leadership so far, Adebayo praised the president’s political skills but warned that Nigerians are more interested in basic services than political victories. “He knows how to recruit and manage politicians, but I wish he knew what the people want—security, education, healthcare, and jobs,” he said.
Adebayo criticised Tinubu’s recent Democracy Day speech, saying it focused more on political praise than addressing the hardship Nigerians face. “While politicians sing praises at the National Assembly, ordinary Nigerians can’t hear them because their stomachs are rumbling,” he said.
He also spoke on the state of opposition politics, saying the real opposition now comes from the Nigerian people, not career politicians. “Many only speak out when they lose power. But real opposition is about principles, not positioning for the next appointment.”
Adebayo reaffirmed his loyalty to the SDP, which he joined in 1991, and insisted the party remains committed to the vision of “farewell to poverty,” once championed by late MKO Abiola.
He called for a new kind of politics focused on people’s welfare. “Until politics works for ordinary Nigerians, we will keep recycling the same problems,” he said.
