Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has issued a stern reminder to President Bola Tinubu: it’s time to move past discussions about “what he met on ground.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adebayo emphasized that the very challenges Tinubu encountered upon assuming office were the same ones he leveraged during his campaign to secure victory in 2023.
Adebayo criticized Tinubu’s economic approach, arguing that the President should have prioritized stabilizing the economy before implementing policies that have triggered soaring inflation.
He pointed out that meaningful progress would only be evident when Tinubu’s administration achieves a stable exchange rate for at least 120 consecutive days.
“When you’re elected into an office, you meet what you meet there. If you study very well before you come, you can almost predict what you’ll meet there,” Adebayo said. He further remarked, “Like now, if it pleases God that we want to replace the Tinubu administration in 2027, we already know what we’re likely to meet there. So, the level of surprise should not be that radical.”
Addressing Tinubu’s handling of key fiscal reforms, Adebayo expressed disappointment in the manner the removal of the petroleum subsidy was executed.
He observed that while the policy was intended to curb excessive government spending, it had inadvertently caused factor costs and inflation to surge, placing additional strain on the Central Bank.
“President Tinubu, from my assessment of him, is very sincere. However, sincerely, he is wrong in the approach he has used so far,” Adebayo stated.
He explained that the ripple effects of the subsidy removal have destabilized the economy without resolving core issues. “All the money saved in the name of subsidy disappeared.
He still had to borrow more. So, all the money he diverted from subsidy has not raised employment.”
Adebayo concluded by reiterating the need for accountability and decisive action. “They should stop talking about what they met on ground.
Apart from the fact that their party has been in power for nine years… what they met on ground was what they used to campaign.”