‘Step Aside, Go Home’ – Adebayo Tells Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has been asked to step down by the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Adewole Adebayo.

Naija News reports that Adebayo said, in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, that Nigerians need relief from the current administration.

Adebayo made the call in response to the President’s decision to reduce his physical participation in campaigns in some states ahead of the 2027 poll.

While inaugurating the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in Abuja, Tinubu urged party members to carry the APC’s message to Nigerians in the states and local government areas while he focused on governance.

But in the statement signed by his campaign’s Chief Communications Adviser, Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate said the President’s plan to avoid the rigours of campaigning cast doubt on his ability to run the country effectively.

Describing Tinubu as a “president in absentia,” Adebayo insisted that Nigeria needed a leader who was active and visible.

“Nigeria is too complex, too dynamic, and currently too distressed to be governed by remote control,” he said.

The SDP flagbearer accused the President of being absent at crucial moments, citing what he called prolonged medical trips disguised as working visits, his absence during national emergencies, and his reliance on aides to announce government policies.

He said Tinubu had failed to reassure Nigerians when they needed it most.

Adebayo further stated, “We have seen repeated instances where the President is visibly missing when the country needs reassurance.

“From unannounced foreign trips during critical economic decisions to his complete silence during widespread regional protests, he has consistently acted like a president in absentia. If you are too tired to campaign, you are too weak to govern.”

Adebayo further claimed that the President’s decision to avoid parts of the campaign trail was driven by fear of how Nigerians would receive him, not strategy.

“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,” he stated.

He attributed the President’s alleged unpopularity to the impact of his economic policies, including the fallout from removing the fuel subsidy, soaring inflation, and naira instability.

According to him, the hardship families across the country face has made Tinubu unwilling to meet voters face to face.

“He knows the pain his bad policies have inflicted on families. He is hiding because he cannot face public anger, and he knows any appearance on a campaign trail will be met with collective booing of a betrayed populace,” he added.

The SDP candidate urged the President to quit, insisting the nation’s interest must come before his administration’s political ambition.

“It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” Adebayo said.

He also called on the government to place the national interest above its political survival and to be open with Nigerians about Tinubu’s fitness to lead for the rest of his tenure.