Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party, has asserted that President Bola Tinubu holds decisive power over which lawmakers return to the National Assembly. Speaking on Channels Television, Adebayo characterized this control as a metaphorical “book of life” that dictates primary election outcomes, suggesting that even popular incumbents are ousted if they lack the President’s favor.
Adebayo argued that the current administration has undermined the core objectives of the republic. Reflecting on his own experience in the 2023 elections, he described the process as a sham, insisting he was competing against the Independent National Electoral Commission rather than fellow candidates. He urged observers to stop treating the 2023 electoral data as legitimate, claiming such analysis only validates systemic manipulation.
Regarding future political strategy, Adebayo rejected the idea of a simple opposition coalition. He instead called for a broad alliance of all Nigerians to address governance failures. Furthermore, he proposed that INEC should restrict its function to merely processing information from political parties rather than vetting candidates. He concluded by stressing that the lead-up to the 2027 elections must focus on national development rather than trivial personality politics.
