By Ihechukwu Sunday
Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo has called on Nigerians to walk away from President Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election and embrace the SDP for their sake, their children and grand-children.
He noted that even though he wishes the President well and prays for him, he would not hesitate to speak up and proffer better alternatives when the president begins to churn out wrong-headed policies.
“I wish the President well, and I pray for him every day. I tell everybody who wants to pray for anybody in this country, to pray for President Tinubu because anything he does has an effect on the security of Nigerians or the welfare of Nigerians and the progress of the country.
“However, when he is having wrong-headed policies, it is my duty to point them out; not only that, it is also my duty to proffer alternatives to Nigerians and demonstrate to Nigerians that those alternatives are better. And when you have an opportunity, just walk away from Tinubu and APC and their policies for the sake of your children and grandchildren, and seek alternatives. Consider the SDP and our platform. There is no enmity in that,” he said.
He equally made it clear that the SDP is not against President Tinubu but against under-development, insecurity, poverty, devaluation of currency, lack of transparency and wastefulness, which have come to characterize Tinubu’s government.
He said: “The SDP is not anti-Tinubu. The SDP is anti under development, anti- poverty, anti- insecurity, anti -devalued currency, anti- lack of transparency and wastefulness. We are anti -unemployment. And Tinubu just happens to produce a lot of those things now. And so sometimes when we talk about it, it will look like, oh, we are against the president, but we talking about this thing for a long time even under Jonathan. We are consistent about that.”
He lamented that state of textile industry, the petroleum industry as well as agricultural sector in the country, stressing that many people are disappointed with President Tinubu because they thought that he would have fixed those sector in the last two years of his government.
“Our textile industry is gone. Our petroleum industry is just about to restart a good thing now, after two decades of doldrums. Our agriculture is not working. So, it doesn’t matter that President Tinubu is there now, whoever is there now, our criticism will be the same, but many people are disappointed that President Tinubu whom they thought would be able to do very good work has not managed to show that,” he said.
Adebayo, however, noted that he was not disappointed with Tinubu and that was why he contested against him in 2023. He stressed that he would still contest against him in 2027 if given the opportunity because he is currently pushing a lot of Nigerians into poverty in a country that is richly blessed.
“But I’m not disappointed. That was why I opposed him. That was why I ran against him last time, and that is why I’m going to run against him now, if the opportunity comes my way.
“The issue is that speaking against traffic jam doesn’t mean you hate drivers. Speaking against hunger doesn’t mean you hate the Minister of Agriculture. Speaking against poor academic grades doesn’t mean you hate the Minister of Education. It is that these are things we shouldn’t have. I don’t like an epileptic power supply, but it doesn’t mean I hate the minister in charge of power. It’s just that these are not good things to have.
“The President is making a lot of Nigerians poor. He is leaving millions behind, and a lot of money is being spent on the budget and outside the budget, which are not reflecting in the welfare of the people.
“It doesn’t matter who is there. These are not good things. And these are things even the President himself, when he was in the opposition, campaigned against, and I believe that in his heart of heart, he should not be satisfied.
“I don’t think that his vision for himself is that two years after being in power, people will still be shouting hunger, under-development and unemployment everywhere. The currency will be so badly damaged to this point that inflation will be going to almost the middle of the double digit.
“So, I don’t think he wants all of that. And I believe that he is probably struggling on his own, trying to figure out how to right some of these wrongs. And our job is to provide alternatives, because there are certain easy options, valuable options that President Tinubu is not considering, which shows to me that he has given serious thoughts to the method he is using now. And he genuinely believes, even though wrongly, that these methods are going to work.
“I hope they work, but I know that historically, they have never worked. So, I’m trying to prepare Nigerians for an alternative that will be better than this,” he said.
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Obi prays for God to grant Soludo greater heights Chuks Eze The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has called on the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo to show humility, gratitude and compassion, following what he described as an ‘unfortunate and bitter’ outburst by the governor. Speaking to journalists at the just-concluded Nigeria Guild of Editors meeting at the NAF Conference Center, Abuja, Obi congratulated Soludo for securing a second tenure and urged him to appreciate God’s mercies by responding to victory with grace rather than resentment. Obi’s remarks came after Soludo provoked controversy during his certificate-of-return ceremony, where he mocked his critics by calling Obi a ‘frustrated politician without a club’ and accused him of damaging the education system in Anambra. “I feel compelled to respond because if I do not, I will be accused of dodging the question,” Obi said, expressing surprise at Soludo’s remarks. “On an occasion meant to celebrate his certificate of return, instead of thanking Almighty God for granting him a second tenure; a moment to demonstrate love and magnanimity, he chose to show bitterness and resentment. It was deeply unfortunate.” Obi clarified his involvement in the recent Anambra election, saying, “I only attended three public events with the Labour Party candidate, strictly where I was invited. At none of these events did I mention anyone by name or meet with traditional rulers, market leaders or any other group to discuss candidates. There was nothing I said to warrant controversy or speculation,” he stressed. Reflecting on the Election Day, Obi recounted how he quietly fulfilled his civic duty, conscious of the weight of responsibility that comes with leadership. “I witnessed irregularities and disruptions that could have easily escalated into chaos,” he said. “When outsiders attempted to cast votes in our community, I stepped in and urged my people to remain calm and allow them to act peacefully. In that moment, I was reminded that integrity must always take precedence over politics. True leadership is measured, not by the contest for power, but by the courage to uphold fairness, restraint and the dignity of our people, even in the most trying circumstances.” Addressing Soludo’s mocking remarks, he used a vivid metaphor from football to clarify his perspective: “On the day of the election, journalists approached me as if I were on the ballot. I reminded them that I served as governor 13 years ago and have since moved on to a higher level in national politics. In football terms, if gubernatorial candidates are in the first division, I am in the Champions League. I ran for Vice President in 2019 and for President in 2023, winning 11 states and Abuja. I play well at that level, and my record speaks for itself.” He also reflected on his age and historic achievements in Anambra State. “In both the old and new Anambra, only Jim Nwobodo and I became governors in our 40s. I was the first to serve a second tenure. I have no personal issue with Governor Soludo. I pray that God grants him even greater heights, if that will inspire him to show humility, compassion and a genuine concern for the people,” he said. He concluded with an appeal, saying, “We must recognise the mercies God grants us. Leadership is not about resentment or bitterness; it is about service, gratitude, and love for our people.”
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