A prominent figure in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the President’s political philosophy centres on taking power rather than seeking it through persuasion.
Adebayo made the remarks on Friday, the 20th of February, 2026, during an interview on Trust TV while addressing concerns surrounding the recently amended Electoral Act.
The controversy follows the National Assembly’s approval of electronic transmission of election results, with manual collation maintained as a fallback option. President Tinubu signed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 into law less than 24 hours after its passage.
Reacting to the development, Adebayo stated:
“Tinubu believes that in their own school of politics you don’t go to the people to ask for power. You are wasting your time.
“People like us who go to the people and campaign, we are wasting our time. He believes you grab the power, snatch it and run away with it. That’s what he believes.
READ ALSO: Kukah, Yiaga Knock Tinubu Over Electoral Act Assent
“This is legislative snatching of power. We are still going to defeat Tinubu in this country and defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, handsomely.
“But he has put another burden in the way of people. Another shadow of doubt in the minds of the voters. So we now have to go back to boost the confidence of the voters.”
Adebayo argued that the amendment introduces fresh concerns about public trust in the electoral process, insisting that opposition parties would intensify efforts to reassure voters ahead of future elections.