The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said he is contesting the presidency to govern Nigeria through service and accountability, rather than rule over Nigerians.
Adebayo stated this on Monday, according to a statement issued in Abuja by Comrade Mark Adebayo, Chief Communications Adviser to the Adewole Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign Council.
The SDP candidate spoke about the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians, while criticising what he described as the recycling of political leaders who had previously occupied public offices.
He argued that politicians who had held public offices lacked the moral authority to seek leadership again, alleging that their past performances had eroded the trust between government and the people.
Adebayo specifically mentioned leading opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, accusing them of seeking to recycle political practices developed during their previous stints in public office.
He alleged that the records of such leaders were part of the systemic failures responsible for the country’s current socioeconomic challenges.
The SDP candidate also described the administration of President Bola Tinubu as a “monumental disaster”, claiming that Nigerians had rejected the prospect of his re-election.
He further alleged that the only plan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 election was to rig the poll.
Adebayo said his campaign would, therefore, intensify voter awareness and sensitisation on citizens’ constitutional and patriotic responsibilities, particularly the need to remain vigilant and protect their votes.
He said, unlike his major opponents, he had never occupied public office and was entering the presidential contest with a clean slate and experience acquired from the private sector.
Adebayo described himself as an international lawyer and entrepreneur who had spent decades building businesses, creating jobs and advocating 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 positioned to re-engineer Nigeria’s recovery, rebuilding, and rejuvenation.”
He said his campaign was offering “fresh hands, pure motives, and proven private-sector competence” to rescue the country.
Adebayo also cited the leadership philosophies of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, former Burkina Faso leader Thomas Sankara and former South African President Nelson Mandela, saying their experiences demonstrated the importance of sacrifice, competence and commitment to the welfare of the people.
He urged Nigerians to reject what he described as a cycle of recycled leadership and embrace a new era of governance driven by character, competence and concern for the people.
