The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has strongly criticised Nigeria’s student loan policy, describing it as “a crime” against young Nigerians and the country’s future.
Speaking during an interview after emerging as the SDP’s presidential flag bearer for the 2027 election, Adebayo insisted that education should be free, compulsory and properly funded by the government.
According to him, forcing students to borrow money to acquire education amounts to abandoning the responsibility of government.
“Student loans are a crime against the constitution and against the people,” Adebayo said.
The SDP candidate argued that quality education is essential for national development, warning that poor educational policies would destroy the country’s future and worsen insecurity.
“Education should be free because if you don’t invest in your people, you destroy your society. You will turn scientists into taxi drivers,” he stated.
Adebayo also criticised the current administration over what he described as the collapse of educational standards, saying lowering admission benchmarks and weakening academic systems would only produce unemployable graduates.
He further accused the ruling APC government of prioritising politics over governance and neglecting issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, including food prices, healthcare, transportation and jobs.
According to him, the SDP’s focus would centre on what he described as “kitchen table politics” — policies aimed at improving the everyday lives of Nigerians.
The former presidential candidate also dismissed concerns about challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027 despite both being from the South-West region, insisting hunger and hardship affect Nigerians regardless of ethnicity or religion.
