The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of influencing who secures return tickets to the National Assembly.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adebayo alleged that many lawmakers were denied the opportunity to return because they were not favoured by the ruling establishment.
According to him, the President allegedly determines which candidates emerge from party primaries.
“He has a book of life. If your name is on it, you’ll win your primaries. If your name is not on that book of life, it doesn’t matter how popular you are with your people,” Adebayo alleged.
He further claimed that even candidates who win party primaries could be replaced if they were not among those allegedly favoured.
Criticises Tinubu’s Administration
Adebayo also criticised the Tinubu administration, arguing that the government has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
“President Tinubu has defeated himself because you cannot fail to defeat yourself as a government if the collective summary of your service is that you have defeated the purpose of government,” he said.
Questions 2023 Election Outcome
The SDP chieftain maintained that the 2023 presidential election was flawed, alleging that the process lacked credibility.
He claimed the contest was effectively against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rather than other political parties.
“The whole thing was a charade. Nobody should use the number and go to the Villa and govern anybody because you can’t govern out of fraud or manipulation,” he stated.
Calls for Focus on National Development
Adebayo urged Nigerians to shift attention from personalities ahead of the 2027 elections and instead focus on policies and governance.
He also argued that INEC’s responsibility should be limited to receiving and publishing the names submitted by political parties rather than determining candidates.
“The job of INEC is to ensure that political parties submit names, collate the names and send the information to the general public,” he said.
The SDP presidential candidate further called for a broad national alliance aimed at addressing Nigeria’s developmental challenges instead of concentrating on political rivalries.
Source: Channels Television.
