Prince Adewole Adebayo, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 presidential election, has criticized President **Bola Tinubu**’s neoliberal economic policies, asserting that they will yield no significant results even over the next 40 years.
Adebayo pointed out that a primary goal of monetary policy in a neoliberal framework is to achieve full employment, a target he claims the Tinubu administration has failed to meet. “They are not going anywhere. You can give them 40 years, but they are not going anywhere,” he stated.
He attributed the country’s economic challenges to the lack of effective policies from the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under Tinubu, arguing that they have failed to articulate a clear economic agenda. “Dodging debate is not an economic policy. They did not understand the implications of the decisions they were taking,” he remarked.
Adebayo emphasized that political leaders should come to power based on their ideas and capabilities rather than their financial clout. He lamented that current leaders seem more focused on conducting business rather than governing effectively for the benefit of the Nigerian populace.
According to Adebayo, the government’s mercantile approach treats citizens as customers rather than constituents. He expressed concern that instead of providing adequate public services, leaders prioritize profit, leading to issues like fuel hoarding and underfunded public education.
He concluded by criticizing the administration’s compliance with the constitutional provisions regarding governance, stating that they are not ready to fulfill their responsibilities as outlined in the Nigerian Constitution.
