Leader and presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has declared that he is fully prepared to take over leadership from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that he would deliver better governance for Nigerians.
Adebayo made the statement over the weekend while reacting to the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
According to him, while the opposition political parties are already preparing for the election, the more critical question is whether Nigerians themselves are ready to change this government.
“The opposition being ready is a given. What is more important is whether the people are ready.
“If you ask me if I am ready to take over from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and govern the country better, yes, I am ready, even today,” he said.
The SDP chieftain said he was better prepared and surrounded by competent people who could offer clearer direction for the country.
“You can drive me to the Aso Rock Villa now and ask me to take over and you will see a better result today, not tomorrow. I am better prepared, better intentioned and surrounded by better people with a clearer vision,” he said.
Adebayo criticised Tinubu administration, describing the current government as a “historic disaster.”
He argued that the real challenge for opposition parties is not merely criticising the government, but presenting credible leadership and policies capable of winning public trust.
“It is not difficult to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What we need to do is bring more voters out and help them understand that their immediate solution is to remove the APC from power,” he said.
Adebayo also urged Nigerians to vote out members of the current National Assembly, accusing the lawmakers of passing electoral laws that favour the ruling party.
“The duty Nigerians have is to make sure that no member of the National Assembly returns because they surrendered the sovereignty of Nigeria to the whims of one person,” he said.
Reacting to threats by the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to boycott future elections if the Electoral Act is not amended, Adebayo said the demand for a better electoral law was legitimate.
However, he maintained that political parties must continue to prepare for elections regardless of the controversy.
“The right decision is to have a good electoral act that encourages people to vote and deepens democracy. But parties must continue their groundwork so they are not caught unawares,” he said.
He noted that although the law as currently is contains “booby traps”, opposition parties still have a responsibility to defeat the government through the ballot.
Adebayo also rejected calls for a broad opposition coalition aimed solely at defeating Tinubu in 2027.
He criticised some opposition figures who recently moved into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that many of them had previously been part of governments responsible for Nigeria’s current challenges.
“You cannot say you are against corruption or bad governance and then align with the same people who created the problem,” he said.
According to him, replacing Tinubu with politicians who previously held power without reforming the system would not solve Nigeria’s problems.
“If you remove Tinubu and bring back those who created the same problems, you have achieved nothing,” he added.
