‘No one is better off under Tinubu’s govt’ — SDP’s Adebayo

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that Nigerians are worse off economically than they were before the government came into office in May 2023.

Adebayo made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he accused the administration of failing to address key challenges confronting citizens, including economic hardship and insecurity.

According to him, the benefits of government policies have not translated into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

“The fact of the matter is that no one’s life is better off except those who are in government,” Adebayo said during the programme.

“[Even] you asking the question knows that your life is no better off in terms of all the economic indicators. I know that my life is not better off, and those of my neighbours are not better off.”

The SDP chieftain argued that the country’s worsening economic realities have affected citizens across different social classes, stressing that discussions about governance should focus on the wellbeing of Nigerians rather than partisan considerations.

Adebayo’s latest criticism echoes comments he made in 2025 when he accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing policies that place excessive financial burdens on Nigerians.

Speaking during an earlier appearance on the same television station, he described the President as a leader focused primarily on revenue generation through taxation.

“President Tinubu is a clever tax collector. He wants to collect taxes from you for everything, including the oxygen tax, very soon,” Adebayo had said.

“If you’re not careful, yes, the air we breathe. Just give him time; he’s going to get there.”

He also criticised import duty policies introduced under the administration, describing them as anti-people and inconsistent with the ideals Tinubu once championed as a pro-democracy activist.

“It is an anti-people decision and a trend in the new Tinubu. Tinubu that used to be in SDP, following Abiola everywhere doing Hope 93, has practically changed to the side of the money people,” he said.

“They see you as a customer, not a citizen. If you have twins and triplets in your house, Tinubu is going to think of twins tax or ‘multiple childbirth tax.’ He’s just thinking of how to collect more money. It’s wrong.”

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