Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewale Adebayo, has issued a stern challenge to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to either use the “bullets” to crush terrorists or the “pen” to resign from office.
Speaking in Abuja at the 2025 National Electoral Reforms Summit, Adebayo accused the Federal Government of turning the nation’s insecurity into a “profitable venture” instead of treating it as a national emergency.
“The Nigerian Armed Forces can protect the whole of West Africa if you allow them,” Adebayo said. “But they can’t even protect their own barracks when politicians tie their hands.”
He alleged that the ruling class was benefiting financially from the prolonged insecurity, warning that unless decisive action is taken, the crisis will persist.
Adebayo challenged President Tinubu to act within 30 days, insisting that Nigeria’s security situation could be reversed “if the government truly has the will.”
On Trump’s Comments, the SDP chieftain also reacted to recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump about Nigeria’s security woes.
While commending Trump for “showing genuine concern,” Adebayo cautioned Nigerians against politicizing or religiously interpreting the comments.
“Trump seems more mindful of Nigeria’s challenges than some of our leaders,” he said. “Our government should be ashamed.”
Earlier, the Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, argued that political reform would remain impossible unless Nigerians change their mindset.
“If we are waiting for government to make any electoral reform, we are wasting our time,” Amaechi said. “Only by electing accountable leaders can this country move forward.”
In her presentation, the Former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, lamented that Nigeria now operates a “courtroom democracy,” where election victories are determined by judges rather than voters.
On his part, the Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, took a swipe at Amaechi, accusing him of hypocrisy.
“Amaechi should not condemn a government he was part of just because he left office two years ago,” Sani fired back.
The summit also featured a heated exchange among former top government officials over the state of Nigeria’s democracy and electoral process.
The summit, organized to push for comprehensive electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections, brought together political leaders, civil society actors, and electoral experts to discuss the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
