Obaloluwa Darasimi
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has unveiled a five-point agenda for the transformation of Nigeria, promising to tackle insecurity, unemployment, low productivity, poor electricity supply and weak institutions if elected president in 2027.

Adebayo, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists and members of the Middle-Belt Forum, argued that economic growth figures mean little to Nigerians if they do not translate into jobs, higher productivity, better living standards and improved opportunities for businesses.

The SDP candidate said Nigeria’s challenges were fundamentally linked to weak institutions, poor accountability, low productive capacity and what he described as government-enabled criminality.

He pledged that a government led by him would dismantle structures that enable criminality and would not tolerate the involvement of public officials in activities that undermine national security.

He said his administration would also undertake a major restructuring of the country’s security architecture, with greater emphasis on intelligence gathering, community responsiveness and the ability of security agencies to prevent crimes rather than merely respond after attacks have occurred.

He proposed a full-employment strategy, greater transparency in revenue collection, stronger financial accountability and a clear separation between public officials and government contracting.

The SDP candidate also advocated the decentralisation of economic production, arguing that states and local governments should play a greater role in sectors such as agriculture and mining.

He proposed what he called a “promotional tax regime”, designed to protect living wages, stimulate investment and encourage businesses to expand production rather than merely increase government revenue.

Adebayo said Nigeria’s vast mineral resources, particularly those located across the Middle Belt, represented an enormous economic opportunity that had yet to be fully exploited.

He argued that properly regulated mining could generate substantial employment, increase government revenue and diversify the economy beyond its dependence on petroleum.

He therefore called for an end to what he described as the “criminalisation of mining”, insisting that the sector should be formally regulated and developed instead of being left vulnerable to illegal operators and criminal networks.

On the power sector, Adebayo said Nigeria must abandon what he described as outdated electricity-generation ambitions and begin planning for an economy capable of supporting large-scale industrialisation.

He proposed that Nigeria should target between 50,000 megawatts and 75,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity by 2050, combining gas-fired generation, solar power and the rehabilitation of existing hydroelectric infrastructure.

“At least in Nigeria now, any presidential candidate who is not giving you a plan for 50,000 megawatts is behind time,” he said.

Adebayo also criticised the existing electricity market, alleging that political interests had interfered with tariff collection and other critical aspects of the sector.

He called for the restructuring of electricity distribution companies and the energy procurement system to improve efficiency and ensure more reliable electricity supply to households and businesses.

On security, he said, it would remain at the heart of his administration.
Adebayo promised to restructure the armed forces and security architecture to make them more responsive to communities while strengthening intelligence capabilities.

He maintained that government could not defeat insecurity by simply reacting to attacks after they had occurred, arguing that the root causes and networks sustaining violence must be confronted.

According to him, effective security requires not only military intervention but also stronger institutions, economic opportunity and a government capable of identifying and disrupting criminal networks before they strike.
The SDP candidate also outlined a foreign policy centred on international partnerships capable of strengthening Nigeria’s national security, education, technology and access to global markets.

He promised that his administration would pay greater attention to Nigerians living abroad, arguing that the Nigerian diaspora should be deliberately integrated into the country’s development strategy.

Adebayo’s proposals came as the SDP intensified its engagement with political and community stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, said the SDP was positioning itself to participate in a credible electoral process while contributing to Nigeria’s democratic development.

Gombe urged the Middle-Belt Forum to play a strategic role in shaping the country’s political future, describing the group as an important stakeholder in Nigeria.

“My request for them from the Middle Belt is that, as one of the key stakeholders in our country, we came to unveil our manifesto and the manifesto of the candidate to them, so as we move on together toward the rescue mission of our dear country,” he said.

The SDP chairman said the party was encouraged by the reception it received from members of the Middle Belt and their understanding of Adebayo’s policy proposals.

He expressed confidence that the engagement would deepen collaboration between the party and stakeholders in the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

With security, full employment, economic decentralisation, massive power expansion and institutional accountability at the centre of his agenda, Adebayo is positioning the SDP as an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

Obaloluwa Darasimi

A former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, has explained the reason for endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, in Osun State.

According to the former SSG, the belief that the election of the APC’s governorship candidate would enshrine good governance necessitated that members of the Turaki-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state endorse Oyebamiji’s candidature for Saturday’s polls.

Akinbade and others who belong to the Turaki group of the PDP, led by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in the state, had on Sunday in Osogbo, adopted the APC gubernatorial candidate as the contender to be supported for Saturday’s election.

In a release, the erstwhile Secretary to the Government said their choice of Oyebamiji, popularly called Ambo, was based on several factors, including his experience in both private and public service, as well as his deep knowledge of the state and its people.

“His calmness, laced with the needed experience in various capacities he had served, richly places him poles ahead of his contenders. Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji has all it takes to turn around Osun State,” he noted

According to Akinbade, the fact that they have decided to support the APC flag bearer despite being of PDP, shows their desire to have the best for the state and its people.

“Just like former Governor Oyinlola stressed, our endorsement of Alhaji Oyebamiji for the coming Saturday’s gubernatorial election does not in any way mean that we have left the PDP. Our decision to go through this route is for the good of the state and its people,” he stressed.

Akinbade assured that their members across the state have been mobilised to vote en masse for the APC, expressing the optimism that he was sure that the Ikire-born financial expert would emerge victorious at the polls.

“Already, our supporters across the state have been steadied for the election. We shall be peaceful in our conduct so as to ensure that there are no hitches that would warrant negativity,” the PDP stalwart pointed out.

While appealing to the APC gubernatorial candidate to be focused if he wins the election, Akinbade urged the people of the state to allow the election to be held without any destruction of lives and property.