Nigeria’s grieving communities find a visitor, listener, and hope in Adebayo

Adedayo Olalekan

In a country where communities devastated by banditry, kidnappings and mass killings often receive only presidential statements and military assurances, Adewole Adebayo is positioning himself as a different kind of national leader – one who believes that true leadership means standing physically with people in their darkest hours.

From Plateau to Oyo and Ekiti States, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain has continued a series of condolence visits that many supporters now describe as the conduct of a “president‑in‑waiting” – a leader who not only speaks about insecurity but personally goes to grieving communities to comfort victims, offer hope and assure citizens that they have not been abandoned.

At the centre of Adebayo’s message is one philosophy he repeatedly emphasizes wherever he goes: “Democracy is not about discussion but participation.” For Adebayo, leadership is not measured by speeches from Abuja or carefully prepared statements from government houses.

To him, governance means physically participating in the pain, fears and struggles of ordinary Nigerians. It is this philosophy that has driven his recent nationwide condolence and solidarity visits.

A Politics of Presence

In the Angwa Rukuba community of Plateau State, where deadly nighttime attacks left many residents dead and families shattered, Adebayo did not merely issue a statement of sympathy; he travelled to the affected area, sat with grieving families and listened to residents recount their ordeals and even offered financial succour. “The people of this community are saddened and battered, but they will not leave this land. God is always responsible, even if the government is not,” he said.

His words reflected both compassion and anger – compassion for victims and anger over what he described as repeated failures of governance. Adebayo argued that the attackers terrorizing communities across Nigeria were “neither more powerful nor more intelligent than the institutions of state,” insisting that insecurity persists because leaders have failed to prioritize justice and protection of citizens.

For many residents, the significance of the visit was not merely political rhetoric, but the symbolism of a national figure physically appearing in a forgotten community during a period of grief.

Tinubu Has Failed as Commander‑in‑Chief

The same message followed him to Ibadan, Oyo State, where he visited Governor Seyi Makinde amid growing kidnappings and insecurity in Oriire Local Government Area. There, Adebayo openly accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing Nigerians on security. “President Tinubu has failed in his duties as Commander‑in‑Chief,” he declared.

But beyond criticizing the president, Adebayo used the moment to further explain his philosophy of participatory leadership. According to him, the office of president is not ceremonial. A Commander‑in‑Chief, he argued, must not become distant from the suffering of the people. That belief, he says, is why he continues to physically visit troubled communities instead of merely reacting from afar.

Taking Comfort to Ekiti Victims

In Eda‑Oniyo, Ekiti State, after fatal attacks on worshippers and the kidnapping of church members by bandits, Adebayo again travelled to the community to identify personally with victims. He condemned the killings and kidnappings, insisting Nigerians should not be forced to live permanently in fear. Describing the repeated attacks across the country as evidence of “failure of governance,” he maintained that the Nigerian state must be rebuilt around the protection of lives and property. To Adebayo, insecurity is not just a security issue; it is a moral test of leadership.

Contrasting Tinubu’s Approach

President Tinubu has also visited some affected communities and repeatedly condemned attacks across Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kwara and other states. His administration launched “Operation Savannah Shield,” deployed troops and consistently promised justice for victims of attacks. Yet critics argue that the Federal Government’s responses have largely become predictable: condemnation, promises, deployments and official assurances, while killings and abductions continue.

Adebayo became particularly vocal after Tinubu’s condolence visit to Benue State following the massacre in Yelewata and surrounding communities. He criticized the president for failing to visit the actual scene of the killings, arguing that explanations about bad roads were unacceptable for a Commander‑in‑Chief. He also condemned what he described as the politicization of the visit, lamenting that political endorsements reportedly overshadowed the mourning of hundreds of victims. For Adebayo, condolence visits should not become political ceremonies but opportunities for leaders to directly share the pain of citizens.

This Is What I Will Do as President

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Adebayo’s recent engagements came when he was asked what he would do differently if elected president. His answer was simple: what Nigerians are already seeing. According to him, these condolence visits represent the exact style of leadership he would bring into office. “This is what I would be doing as president – attending to the problems of insecurity and physically being with my people,” he said. “That is what a chief executive officer and commander‑in‑chief does.”

The statement captures the image Adebayo appears determined to build ahead of 2027 – that of an accessible, empathetic and visibly involved leader. At a time when many Nigerians complain of growing disconnect between leaders and citizens, Adebayo’s repeated emphasis on participation rather than discussion positions him as a politician who believes leadership must be seen, felt and experienced directly by the people.

Across grieving communities from Plateau to Ekiti, the SDP presidential candidate is steadily constructing a political identity around empathy, physical presence and the promise that leadership should bring hope directly to the people – not merely statements from a distance.

*Mr. Olalekan can be reached at lakewhyte@yahoo.com