Tinubu has no fresh ideas to tackle poverty - SDP presidential candidate

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to address poverty and insecurity, arguing that the administration has no fresh ideas to improve Nigerians’ living conditions ahead of the 2027 election.

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Mr Adebayo said the president must account for his handling of the economic hardship he inherited, the measures his administration has implemented and the plans he intends to pursue if he seeks re-election.

The SDP candidate said this on Monday while appearing on Morning Show, a programme on Arise News.

He criticised the government’s proposed 90-day plan to address economic challenges, saying it shows the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration prioritises politics over governance.

“The president is our leader in the country, and we need to give him some respect, despite our political differences,” Mr Adebayo said. “But increasingly, it is clear that the president doesn’t live in Nigeria to know the problems of the people.”

He argued that Mr Tinubu has presided over worsening poverty since assuming office on 29 May 2023 and should therefore be held accountable for his policies’ outcomes.

“Whether the poverty is inherited, imported, or falls from the sky, he has been presiding over that poverty in the last three and a half years, and he has not found a single solution to any of the indices of poverty,” he said.

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Mr Adebayo also argued that the president could not blame previous administrations indefinitely, noting that none of his major opposition challengers had previously served as president.

He cited former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as an example, arguing that the economic conditions during Atiku’s time in government differed significantly from those confronting Nigerians today.

The SDP candidate said a presidential campaign should focus on the incumbent’s record, the results of policies implemented and a clear programme for the future, rather than political alliances and references to past leaders.

“A campaign for the presidency for someone who is an incumbent has only three parts. You would account for the problems you met on the ground. Two, you would account for the efforts you have made to improve the situation. Three, you will account for what you want to do next,” he said.

“It is the solidity of your plan, not the number of poor bearers standing by your left or right, that makes a presidential campaign.”

Criticises 90-day economic plan

Mr Adebayo questioned the timing and feasibility of the administration’s proposed 90-day plan, arguing that economic problems such as high prices and declining purchasing power required sustained policy interventions rather than short-term measures.

He said policies designed to influence prices, improve household incomes and reduce the cost of living required coordinated fiscal and monetary measures that could not be fully implemented within three months.

“90 days is a short-term plan, and the content of their programme, what they say they want to do, are things that are medium-term and long-term,” he said.

He accused the APC of using the proposed plan to create the impression that the government was responding to public concerns while potentially relying on temporary relief measures.

“In the medical laboratory of the APC, every problem in Nigeria, insecurity, bad roads, poor education, no healthcare, can be cured by a bag of rice,” he said.

Mr Adebayo argued that the administration should focus on structural reforms that increase food production, create jobs, and reduce the cost of essential services instead of relying on palliatives.

He also criticised the president’s economic policies, saying the government had yet to show how it intended to reverse the hardship households face.

SDP promises alternative economic programme

Mr Adebayo said his party had developed a programme to address poverty and insecurity through agriculture, employment, affordable education, mass housing and lower energy costs.

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He said the party’s proposed interventions would focus on increasing agricultural output, improving security, and creating employment opportunities in the economy’s productive sectors.

“We are not here to manage the status quo. We are here to change the paradigm,” he said.

Mr Adebayo said an SDP administration would also seek to improve domestic energy security by ensuring that crude oil allocated for local consumption was available to meet the country’s needs.

He questioned the management of crude oil previously earmarked for domestic use, citing the historical allocation of 445,000 barrels per day, and demanded greater accountability from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the federal government over the country’s domestic crude supply.

He argued that the government’s inability to guarantee adequate domestic crude supply, despite Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country, raised questions about the management of the sector.

Mr Adebayo said the SDP’s economic programme was anchored on implementing Chapter II of the Nigerian Constitution, which outlines the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, including the state’s responsibility to promote the welfare and security of citizens.

He said the party would prioritise access to food, education, healthcare and housing, alongside measures to create employment and improve household purchasing power.

The SDP candidate maintained that the 2027 election should be decided by competing policy proposals and measurable plans to improve citizens’ lives rather than political endorsements and campaign displays.