Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop referring to the challenges he inherited and to focus on the actions he has taken since assuming office.

Adebayo pointed out that the issues Tinubu claims to have encountered were the same ones he spoke about during his campaign, which ultimately led to his victory in the 2023 election.

During his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adebayo criticized the President for not prioritizing economic stabilization before implementing certain policies, such as the controversial removal of the petroleum subsidy.

He argued that these decisions contributed to skyrocketing inflation, which has further strained Nigeria’s economy.

According to Adebayo, the government’s inability to manage inflation and stabilize the exchange rate is a significant failure of the current administration.

He emphasized that when a leader steps into office, they should be prepared for the existing challenges. He noted that if a change of leadership were to happen in 2027, the incoming president would already have an idea of the issues they would inherit.

Adebayo also acknowledged Tinubu’s sincerity but expressed concern about his approach. He pointed out that while Tinubu’s desire to reform the country’s fiscal policies and reduce government spending was understandable, the method used to remove the fuel subsidy was flawed.

By removing the subsidy abruptly, the government caused a ripple effect, increasing costs and inflation, while failing to address Nigeria’s most pressing problems, including unemployment and foreign exchange management.