The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2027 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to step aside, arguing that his decision to avoid some physical campaign activities raises questions about his ability to govern Nigeria.
Adebayo made the remarks in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday in response to Tinubu’s announcement that he would not accompany members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general election.
Tinubu made the announcement during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, where he asked members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across states and local government areas while he focused on governance and the country’s economic responsibilities.
Reacting to the development, Adebayo argued that a president who considered himself too tired to participate in campaign activities was also too weak to lead the country. In a statement signed by his campaign’s Chief Communications Adviser, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate described Tinubu as a “president in absentia” at a time when Nigeria needed active leadership.
Adebayo said Nigeria’s current challenges required a president who was physically present and directly engaged with the people, insisting that the country could not be effectively managed from a distance.
“Nigeria is too complex, too dynamic, and currently too distressed to be governed by remote control,” he said.
He accused Tinubu of repeatedly being absent when Nigerians needed reassurance, citing what he described as prolonged medical vacations presented as working visits, absences during national emergencies and the use of representatives to communicate government policies.
The SDP candidate also criticised the president over alleged unannounced foreign trips during important economic decisions and what he described as silence during widespread regional protests.
“We have seen repeated instances where the President is visibly missing when the country needs reassurance. From unannounced foreign trips during critical economic decisions to his complete silence during widespread regional protests, he has consistently acted like a president in absentia. If you are too tired to campaign, you are too weak to govern,” Adebayo said.
He further alleged that Tinubu’s decision to limit his participation in campaign activities was motivated by fear of public reaction rather than a desire to concentrate on governance.
“The excuse of bowing out of the 2027 campaign is a cowardly smokescreen. The truth is that the President is terrified of the Nigerian people,” he argued.
Adebayo attributed what he described as Tinubu’s declining popularity to the effects of the administration’s economic policies, particularly the consequences of fuel subsidy removal, rising inflation and instability in the value of the naira.
According to him, the economic difficulties faced by households have made the president reluctant to appear before voters during the campaign.
“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.
The SDP candidate called on Tinubu to acknowledge the situation and leave office, arguing that the country needed relief from the current administration.
“It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” Adebayo added.
He also urged the administration to place national interest above political survival and be transparent about Tinubu’s capacity to continue leading the country for the remainder of his term.
