Adebayo Challenges Tinubu, Other Presidential Aspirants to Debate, Promises to End Poverty, Insecurity in Four Years

 

By Kayode Olopade 

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has challenged President Bola Tinubu and other political leaders to participate in open presidential debates, declaring that candidates who avoid public scrutiny lack the ideas and capacity to address Nigeria’s mounting challenges.

Adebayo, who made the remarks during a live appearance on Talking It Real, a current affairs programme hosted by Adeola Fayehun on Tuesday, October 13, said presidential aspirants must demonstrate their competence by defending their policies and leadership credentials before Nigerians.

He maintained that public debates provide voters with an opportunity to assess candidates’ understanding of national issues, policy priorities and capacity to govern, rather than relying solely on campaign promises and political rallies.

According to him, anyone seeking to lead a country as complex as Nigeria must be prepared to subject his or her ideas to rigorous public examination.

“If you are running for the presidency of a nation as complex as Nigeria, you must be ready to lay out your thesis,” Adebayo said.

He described candidates who evade debates as “empty upstairs,” arguing that their reluctance to engage in intellectual scrutiny raises questions about their preparedness to lead the country.

The SDP candidate challenged his political opponents, including Tinubu, to meet him on any debate platform, insisting that he was ready to defend his policy proposals before the electorate.

“I will meet them on any stage, under any condition, because leadership is about accountability, not shadow-boxing,” he declared.

Beyond the debate challenge, Adebayo criticised the economic policies of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the reported introduction of a 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products.

He argued that such policies could intensify inflationary pressures and worsen the economic hardship facing households