…says Atiku, Obi will be worse if in govt
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has explained why coalition talks involving his party collapsed, pointing to the lack of credibility, clear ideology, and moral authority among key opposition figures.
Adebayo, who stressed that the SDP is not opposed to coalition politics in principle, said the party will not align with individuals whose records and motivations contradict its values.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday during the 2025 Christmas Marathon and Health Walk organized by him and his wife, Queen Lilian Adebayo, he said mere opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is insufficient reason to form an alliance.
“We are talking with the coalition to find a common purpose, and this purpose must meaningfully impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians. The fact that I don’t like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not mean I should accept from others what I dislike him for. That’s why we carefully interviewed some of them, while others we didn’t even consider. Many are known figures whose records contradict their claims of wanting to rescue Nigeria,” Adebayo said.
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He further argued that several opposition figures are leveraging public dissatisfaction with the current government’s performance rather than offering genuine solutions. Using an analogy, he warned Nigerians not to be misled by superficial differences among politicians such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who, he claimed, pursue personal patronage under the guise of championing the masses.
“I think it’s better to make sure that the person who wants to collaborate with you doesn’t have similar tendencies like the person you want to take power from. It will be like what’s the point for a chicken to vote for any of these three people.
“Someone said the best way to handle a chicken during Christmas is to roast it, another said fry it, another said parboil it. How would the chicken vote for any of them.
“Since they could disagree among themselves. None of them could then force the chicken. What we are trying to do is that people don’t capitalize on the obviously bad performance of the government or to come and insinuate to us or ride on the wave of that anger.
“So, these people who are coming are going to be worse. When I saw their mascot, Buhari, I was convinced that we would be dead. We should make sure that someone who is not worse is not smuggled in,” he said.
Adebayo maintained that Nigerians must ensure that individuals “worse than the government” are not “smuggled” into power under the pretence of opposition unity.
He further disclosed that several politicians who sought to join the SDP were rejected after internal screening, noting that some were not even granted interviews.
“We told many of them to go away. You can’t say you want to rescue Nigeria when you’re a fraud,” he stated.
Adebayo further criticized politicians with questionable pasts and character, most especially those facing corruption charges and allegations and planning to take over from President Bola Tinubu.
“Some people are doing coalition after leaving EFCC custody on bail,” he said, adding that criminality and opportunism have no place in genuine reform politics.
“The fact that I am angry with Tinubu doesn’t say I’m blind. How can I say President Tinubu is not capable of governing due to agility and now bring or work with someone who is his senior brother.
“In the long run, you must be credible. What drives you to do something must not be hatred or opportunism. You must look at a way to make the country better.”
The SDP leader also stressed that any coalition must be based on shared ideology and accountability.
“You must first confess your contribution to the problems we are facing today as a country before you can talk about coalition,” he said.
He noted that many politicians are driven by dependence on government patronage, positing how he persuaded his party leaders that remaining out of power was preferable to betraying Nigerians.
“Some people are incapable of being outside government for six hours because they are used to free cars, houses, and privileges.
“For me, if you cannot help the Nigerian people, let us not kill them. It is better not to enter government than to become enemies of the people,” he said.
