The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, believes President Bola Tinubu’s performance so far is not impressive and has advised him to forget vying for a second term if things do not improve before the next round of polls.

Adebayo spoke on Wednesday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of mismanaging the country.

“So I don’t think that if things remain the way they are in 2027, President Tinubu, in good conscience, should be surprised if he’s massively voted out. Nigerians have suffered enough. His policies are not working,” he said on the current affairs show.

“So, I think we need to understand that Nigerians have options. But if by 2027 something changes in terms of the macroeconomics, in terms of security, in terms of poverty, in terms of employment, then it becomes competitive.

“But the way it is now, I don’t think that for the good of the country—even for the good of the president himself—he should just go home and thank God that he’s been president for four years.”

His comment came days after Nigeria’s main opposition party — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — zoned its presidential ticket to the southern part of the country ahead of the 2027 elections.

Observers believe the PDP could have won the 2023 elections if the party had zoned its presidential ticket to the region instead of leaving it open, leading to the emergence of ex-Vice President Atilku Abubakar as the party’s flagbearer.

But the SDP chieftain has downplayed the PDP’s most recent move, arguing that Nigerians have options going into the next elections.

“Besides PDP, we have better options, so it’s not a thing that if the PDP commits suicide, the APC automatically inherits the politics. No,” he said.

“What we know is that APC and PDP are like Siamese twins —they are the same company now. They work together. Nigeria wants alternative politics. We’re looking for a new direction. That’s what people are saying.”

Ahead of the elections, the APC has endorsed Tinubu for another term of four years. But critics believe the move was too early and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians who are grappling with the impacts of the reforms initiated by the current government.

But the APC is calling for patience, saying the impacts of the reforms will pay off soon. (Channels TV)