Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step down and return home, arguing that the nation requires full-time, hands-on leadership.
Adebayo issued the call on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in an official statement released in Abuja following President Tinubu’s announcement that he plans to skip physical campaign rallies across several states ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The political clash follows President Tinubu’s address during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja.
Addressing council officials and party leaders, President Tinubu directed campaign teams to take the ruling party’s agenda directly to citizens at state and local government levels while he remained focused on national administration duties.
The decision drew immediate criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned the President’s physical readiness for another term in office.
Rejecting the President’s rationale, Adebayo characterised the decision as a sign of physical exhaustion rather than a strategic focus on governance.
”If you are too tired to campaign, you are too weak to govern,” Adebayo said. “The excuse of bowing out of the 2027 campaign is a cowardly smokescreen. The truth is that the President is terrified of the Nigerian people.”
In a press release signed by his Presidential Campaign’s Chief Communications Adviser, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate described President Tinubu as a “president in absentia” at a critical moment when the country needs active leadership.
”It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” Adebayo added.
The exchange comes amid growing political agitation over rising living costs and fuel prices, which the SDP campaign has cited as key drivers of public dissatisfaction.
Adebayo’s campaign office urged the administration to prioritize national interest and exercise full transparency regarding the President’s capacity to discharge his constitutional duties for the remainder of his term.
