SDP’s Adebayo: “No One Is Better Off Under Tinubu’s Government”

Former presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has criticised the economic performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, claiming that Nigerians are worse off now than before Tinubu took office in May 2023.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adebayo accused the government of failing to tackle key challenges that affect ordinary citizens, such as economic hardship and insecurity.

He argued that the benefits promised by government policies have not translated into better living conditions for most Nigerians.

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

“Even if you ask the question, you know 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.”

According to the SDP leader, the country’s deteriorating economic reality affects people across all social classes, and discussions about governance should focus on the wellbeing of Nigerians rather than partisan politics.

Adebayo’s latest criticism echoes remarks he made in 2025, when he accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing policies that impose excessive financial burdens on citizens.

Speaking on the same television station earlier, he described President Tinubu as a leader who prioritises 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 said.

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

He also criticised the import duty policies introduced under the administration, calling them 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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