By Dennis Okechukwu
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to step aside, arguing that his decision to limit physical campaign appearances raises questions about his capacity to govern Nigeria.
Adebayo made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday in response to Tinubu’s decision to delegate campaign activities to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council while continuing to attend to governance.
Tinubu announced his position during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, urging members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across the states and local government areas.
Reacting, Adebayo described Tinubu as a “president in absentia,” insisting that Nigeria’s current challenges required a president who was actively engaged in leadership.
In the statement signed by his campaign’s Chief Communications Adviser, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate argued that the country’s complexity and prevailing difficulties made it unsuitable for remote leadership.
“Nigeria is too complex, too dynamic, and currently too distressed to be governed by remote control,” he said.
Adebayo accused Tinubu of repeatedly being absent at critical moments, citing what he described as prolonged medical vacations presented as working visits, absences during national emergencies and reliance on representatives to communicate government policies.
He also alleged that the President had failed to provide adequate reassurance during periods of public unrest and had undertaken foreign trips at critical moments in the country’s economic affairs.
“We have seen repeated instances where the President is visibly missing when the country needs reassurance,” Adebayo said.
“If you are too tired to campaign, you are too weak to govern,” he added.
The SDP candidate further questioned Tinubu’s decision to stay away from some campaign activities, describing it as an attempt to avoid public anger rather than a strategic political decision.
According to Adebayo, the President’s economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy, rising inflation and currency instability, had increased the hardship faced by Nigerians.
He alleged that Tinubu was reluctant to appear before voters because of the public dissatisfaction generated by his administration’s policies.
“He knows the pain his bad policies have inflicted on families. He is hiding because he cannot face public anger, and he knows any appearance on a campaign trail will be met with collective booing of a betrayed populace,” he said.
Adebayo called on Tinubu to put national interest above political considerations and be transparent about his ability to lead the country for the remainder of his tenure.
“It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” he said.