Our Reporter
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr Adewole Adebayo, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to a public debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Adebayo issued the challenge on Tuesday in Abuja while unveiling the SDP’s 2027 presidential manifesto, Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity.
He also promised that an SDP administration would establish four functional refineries and increase electricity generation to 75,000 megawatts if elected.
Adebayo said his administration would also ensure that Nigerians did not pay international prices for petrol, proposing a pump price of no more than N200 per litre.
“The plan is to have four functional refineries in Nigeria and generate 75,000 megawatts of electricity.
“No Nigerian should be living in Nigeria and buying petrol at international prices. That is why we have arrived at N200 per litre for petrol,” he said.
Adebayo criticised the Tinubu administration, blaming successive governments for what he called Nigeria’s worsening poverty, insecurity and economic difficulties.
He said the country’s problems were largely the result of poor political leadership and called for a fundamental change in the way Nigeria was governed.
According to him, political office holders had used their positions to undermine the country’s resources, development and the hopes of ordinary Nigerians.
“The people who make these problems are those in the Villa, the government houses and the National Assembly,” he said.
He argued that changing the government required Nigerians to change the way they approached politics and demanded greater emphasis on ideas, policies and accountability.
Adebayo directly challenged Tinubu to defend his administration’s record before Nigerians.
“The first challenge is to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: come out of hiding and debate. Anyone who wants to keep his job should be able to answer questions,” he said.
He questioned the administration’s management of funds from the removal of petrol subsidy and spending on security.
“Where have you been in the past four years? What have you been doing? Where is the money? Where is the money you saved from subsidy removal? Where are the trillions for security?
“Where is the CNG? Where is electricity?” he asked.
Adebayo also criticised the Central Bank of Nigeria, accusing it of failing to adequately protect the naira and promote productivity and employment.
He alleged that the country had been “robbed in broad daylight” and called for stronger accountability in the management of public resources.
The SDP candidate promised to tackle insecurity within four years if elected.
“We are promising that in four years, we are going to defeat insecurity,” he said.
He attributed much of the insecurity in the country to failures of government and argued that electing a new administration would be a major step towards addressing the problem.
“When you use your vote on January 16, 2027, to change the government, you have already gone 60 per cent of the way towards changing the way things are done,” he said.
He also called for greater national unity, saying Nigerians should stop viewing one another along ethnic, regional and other divisions.
According to him, Nigeria must create an economy capable of providing productive opportunities for its citizens rather than forcing people to seek opportunities abroad.
Adebayo said the SDP’s manifesto was intended to stimulate national debate rather than serve only as an electoral document for his party.
He argued that its policies could be implemented by any political party willing to adopt them.
“When you have a policy document that works, it will work if the Labour Party implements it. It will work if APC implements it. It will work if Accord implements it. It will work if ADC implements it,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to scrutinise, evaluate and challenge the proposals contained in the document.
“This policy has been given to Nigerians to start a conversation, not to end it,” he said.
Earlier, the SDP National Chairman, Sadiq Gombe, said the party’s manifesto was focused on tackling insecurity, increasing production and creating prosperity for Nigerians.
“For too long, Nigerians have been asked to endure without results,” Mr Gombe said.
He said the party’s objective was to create a Nigeria where citizens were secure, productive and prosperous.
The Vice-Presidential candidate of the SDP, Dr Usman Bugaje, said he and the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, were motivated by a desire to rescue the country from the poor leadership of politicians.
“Tired of the mess the politicians have brought to this country, we are here not because we have no job to do. We are otherwise very busy people”.
Also speaking, the SDP State Chairmen Forum chairman, Hon. Femi Olaniyi, urged party members to take the manifesto to the grassroots and communicate its proposals in language ordinary Nigerians could understand.
He said the blueprint was not merely a campaign slogan but a proposed framework for addressing poverty and insecurity.
Olaniyi said the party would begin mobilisation around the document across states and local government areas.
He also announced the forum’s support for Adebayo’s presidential bid, saying the chairmen would support the campaign with 100,000 posters and 37 billboards.
He urged party members to return to their respective states and begin mobilising support for the SDP candidate and his manifesto ahead of the 2027 election.
The book reviewer, Prof. Femi Olufumilade, a professor of political science, said Nigeria could achieve tremendous transformation within four years if it adopted the right policies and strategies.
“I can assure you, based on my knowledge of how many countries have made great strides, that it is possible for a country to witness tremendous transformation within four years.
“China is today the second-largest economy in the world, performing neck and neck with the United States. As far as I am concerned, China has overtaken the United States economically.
“However, when certain parameters are considered, the United States is still ranked as the number one economy. China has the largest population and is the manufacturing centre of the world.
“But as of 1978, you can check the figures, China’s entire stock of foreign reserves was no more than 1.6 billion dollars, despite having a population of almost one billion people. It did not have up to two billion dollars in foreign reserves.”
It may be recalled that the party had embarked on sensitization campaign in and around the FCT to drive home its message of hope for the citizens.
