Presidential Candidate Delivers Scathing Assessment of Tinubu's Leadership
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in Nigeria's 2023 general election, has launched a severe criticism against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. In a statement released on November 26, 2025, Adebayo declared that the President has completely lost control of his government due to the deteriorating security situation nationwide.
A Comprehensive Failure Across All Sectors
Adebayo asserted that Nigerians made a significant mistake by electing Tinubu, emphasizing that the President has failed in every sector of governance. "You can't fail in every aspect," Adebayo stated. "You fail in security; you fail in economy; you fail in culture, and you fail in sports. So, you fail in everything."
The opposition leader used strong language to describe the administration's performance, accusing Tinubu of "Afghanizing" Nigeria while expecting praise. He highlighted how every economic and social index has worsened under the current leadership, specifically mentioning unemployment, inflation, security, and Nigeria's international reputation.
"You cannot take every index that you meet and make it worse," Adebayo continued. "Unemployment is worse. Inflation is worse. Security is worse. The international profile of the country is worse."
Administration Described as Rudderless and Reactive
Characterizing the Tinubu government as directionless, Adebayo claimed the administration has "lost its map" and merely reacts to daily incidents without any coherent strategy. He observed that the government appears to wake up each day responding to whatever new crisis emerges, whether domestic or international.
"There is no rational observer who would say this is the trajectory of where the Presidency was headed to," Adebayo noted. "President Tinubu has lost control of his own government, which he hasn't had time to put together to start with."
The SDP leader further argued that no government spokesperson could honestly claim that Nigeria's current position in 2025 reflects their planned trajectory from one or two years earlier.
Disagreement with Trump's Characterization of Nigeria
While delivering his harsh assessment, Adebayo disagreed with former U.S. President Donald Trump's characterization of Nigeria as a "disgraced country." He clarified that while he rejects this description of the nation, he understands the diplomatic language being used.
"I don't agree with President Trump that we are a disgraced country," Adebayo stated. "But he's speaking the language of international diplomacy. What he meant is that the Tinubu administration is a disgraced government because Nigeria is not a disgrace. Nigeria is not a failure."
Using a football analogy, Adebayo explained that when the Nigerian national team concedes goals on the field, the score reflects against Nigeria as a whole, even though not all citizens are playing. Similarly, President Tinubu represents Nigeria on the international stage, and his "scorecard is disgraceful" despite the nation itself not being a failure.
