Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has declared that his mission in the upcoming election is to govern Nigeria through service and accountability, unlike his competitors whose sole ambition is to rule over the people.
Speaking with deep empathy for the daily struggles of ordinary Nigerians in a statement issued by his Presidential Campaign Communications Directorate on Sunday, Adebayo delivered an unapologetic assessment of the nation’s political landscape.
He asserted that anyone who has previously held public office in Nigeria lacks the moral authority to aspire to leadership again.
According to Adebayo, their past poor performances have broken the bond of trust between the government and the citizens, proving they can no longer be trusted with the nation’s future.
Adebayo pointed out that leading opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, are recycling old political habits formed during their times in public office. He noted that their track records are inextricably linked to the systemic failures that have brought Nigeria to its current socioeconomic knees.
He asserts that it is self-evident that the Tinubu presidentcy is of monumental disaster for which Nigerians have a collective consensus in rejecting any possibility of voting for his reelection.
He said: “That is why the only plan by him and his Party, the APC, is to rig next year’s election.
“On that, we will escalate our awareness campaigns to further sensitise the electorate of their constitutional and patriotic duties to be vigilant and be ready to protect their votes.”
In sharp contrast, Adebayo has never occupied a public office.
He enters the presidential race with a clean slate and a highly distinguished track record in the private sector.
As a hugely successful international lawyer and entrepreneur, Adebayo has spent decades building businesses, creating jobs, and defending justice without relying on public funds or political patronage.
“Nigerians do not need rulers; they need a governor,” Adebayo stated. “Those who have tasted power before have shown us what they can do, and the results are poverty, insecurity, and broken infrastructure. They cannot fix the problems they helped create. My background is in solving complex problems and creating wealth from scratch are critical leadership factors that stand me out as the best positioed to re-engineer Nigeria’s recovery, rebuilding, and rejuvenation.
“We are bringing fresh hands, pure motives, and proven private-sector competence to rescue Nigeria.”
Adebayo reminded citizens that the crisis of leadership in Nigeria mirrors the warnings of global statesmen who understood that true governance requires sacrifice, not self-interest.
Reflecting on the discipline needed to build a nation, Adebayo drew on the wisdom of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, who famously noted “If you want a country to succeed, you must have a system that enables the best man for the job to be chosen… If you have a corrupt system, you will have a corrupt government, and a corrupt country.”
Highlighting his commitment to the masses, Adebayo echoed the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara, who warned against leaders who use power for personal comfort: “Those who want to exploit us are using the same old methods… We must choose either champagne for a few or safe drinking water for all.”
Laying emphasis on his empathetic approach to governance, Adebayo aligned his vision with the ideals of Nelson Mandela, who taught the world that “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
The SDP candidate concluded by calling on Nigerians to reject the cycle of recycled leadership and embrace a new dawn of purposeful governance driven by character, competence, and care for the people.
