Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential hopeful Prince Adewole Adebayo has called on President Bola Tinubu to step down and allow Nigeria to recover, issuing the demand from Abuja on Wednesday. He argued that the president’s absence from campaign activities signals weakness and hampers effective governance.
Adebayo made the remarks in a statement signed by his campaign chief communications adviser, Comrade Mark Adebayo. He was reacting to Tinubu’s announcement that he would forgo physical campaigning in several states ahead of the 2027 presidential election, a move the SDP candidate described as a “cowardly smokescreen.”
**Why did Adebayo label Tinubu a “president in absentia”?**
The SDP candidate said Tinubu has repeatedly governed from a distance, pointing to prolonged medical trips framed as work visits, unannounced foreign trips during critical economic decisions, and silence during regional protests. He added that the president’s reliance on proxies to announce state policies further underscores his detachment.
**What policies fuel Adebayo’s criticism?**
Adebayo highlighted the fallout from the removal of fuel subsidies, soaring inflation and the instability of the naira as key factors eroding public confidence in the administration. He claimed the president is “terrified of the Nigerian people” and is hiding to avoid confronting the anger his policies have sparked.
**What does Adebayo demand of the president?**
He urged Tinubu to “step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” calling on the administration to prioritize national interest over political survival and to be transparent about the president’s capacity to lead the remainder of his term.
> “If you are too tired to campaign, you are too weak to govern,” Adebayo > said.
The SDP candidate concluded that Nigeria’s complex, dynamic and distressed situation requires hands‑on leadership, not remote control.