…Calls for New Leadership in 2027

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader and presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has delivered a sweeping criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security, governance, and democracy, warning that Nigeria has become increasingly vulnerable due to what he described as weak and negligent leadership.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, Adebayo said insecurity has defined Nigeria’s recent history, with bandits and terrorists overrunning communities, killing and kidnapping residents, and looting property.

He argued that security demands realism and data-driven planning, not optimism, accusing successive administrations — including Tinubu’s — of failing to act decisively as commanders-in-chief.

According to Adebayo, President Tinubu has not demonstrated a clear understanding of his constitutional role as commander-in-chief, saying the president has failed to properly supervise the armed forces or articulate a coherent national security plan.

He dismissed claims that Tinubu merely inherited the crisis, noting that the president campaigned on fixing insecurity but has not delivered meaningful results.

Adebayo also criticised Nigeria’s growing security engagement with the United States, describing it as a reaction to domestic failure rather than a diplomatic success.

He warned that Tinubu’s handling of insecurity had exposed Nigeria to foreign pressure, insisting that international cooperation should be limited, proactive, and firmly driven by Nigeria’s own priorities.

He blamed corruption and collusion within government and security institutions for sustaining insecurity, alleging that some officials are profiting from prolonged conflict.

On claims of religious persecution, Adebayo said Nigeria has moved beyond debates over labels, stressing that communities across the country are living in fear regardless of faith.

He argued that securing lives and communities should be the government’s foremost responsibility, adding that unchecked corruption within the security sector has weakened national sovereignty.

Adebayo further warned against any foreign troop presence on Nigerian soil and condemned poor governance as the greatest threat to democracy, even as he rejected coups and unconstitutional seizures of power.

He criticised the rejection of electoral reforms, accusing beneficiaries of flawed elections of resisting change, while insisting that incumbents, including Tinubu and the APC, remain beatable if citizens mobilise.

Looking ahead, Adebayo expressed confidence that the SDP could emerge victorious in a “people’s election,” calling for the rise of a new political class to replace what he described as an entrenched elite feeding off public resources.

He warned Nigerians against a second Tinubu term, portraying the president as an imperial figure rather than a servant leader, and urged voters to seek accountable, people-centred leadership in the next election.

A civil society organisation, Leadership Orientation and Basic Rights Advocacy Centre (LOBRAC), has urged the Senate to approve proposed amendments to the Electoral Act to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results.

The group made the call in a communiqué jointly signed by its Executive Director, Stanley Okafor and National Secretary, Franklin Asiegbu, and issued on Monday in Awka.

LOBRAC expressed concern over what it described as the Senate’s delay in approving amendments to Clause 10, Section 3 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

It said the section sought to remove the discretionary powers granted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the mode of transmitting election results.

“The amendment is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.

“Retaining discretion for INEC on the transmission method has contributed to controversies surrounding election outcomes and undermined public confidence in the electoral system.

“Failure to mandate electronic transmission of results can hinder progress in ensuring credible elections,” it said.

The group noted that Section 60 of the current Electoral Act provided for manual recording of results at polling units.

It added that the section also granted INEC discretion on the mode of transmitting those results, a provision it said Nigerians had widely criticised.

“Compelling electronic transmission of results from polling units will help address recurring concerns raised after previous elections and strengthen transparency in the electoral process,” it said.

LOBRAC further stated that it would collaborate with labour unions and other stakeholders to advocate approval of the amendment in line with what it described as the collective interest of Nigerians.

The Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, on Monday joined hundreds of protesters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

Obi was at the complex to protest the Senate’s decision to remove the phrase “real-time” from provisions on electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The protest, tagged: “Occupy the National Assembly,” was organised by members of the Obidient Movement, alongside some pro-democracy activists.

The protesters accused lawmakers of attempting to weaken electoral transparency, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The agitation followed the passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill, 2026 by the Senate last week.

One of key controversial aspects of the amended legislation is the deletion of the word “real-time” in sections relating to electronic transmission of results, a move, critics argued, could open the door for manipulation.

Although the Senate had issued several clarifications, insisting that it did not reject electronic transmission of results, protesters maintained that the absence of the phrase “real-time electronic transmission” leaves room for abuse and post-election interference.

Chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards bearing messages such as: “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery,” and “Protect democracy now,” the demonstrators marched from the Federal Secretariat toward the National Assembly.

They were, however, prevented from entering the complex by heavily armed security operatives drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The security agencies barricaded the main entrance, thus compelling the protesters to stage their demonstration outside the gates.

Addressing newsmen at the protest ground, Obi decried what he described as the gradual erosion of democratic gains in the country, warning that credible elections remained critical to national stability and development.

“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa,” he said.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the protests would continue until the real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended law was reinstated.

“If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our elections must be credible,” Tanko said.

He claimed that previous elections had often been compromised by manual interference during result collation, noting that electronic transmission was introduced as part of reforms, following the 2011 and 2015 elections.

Nigeria’s push for electoral reforms gained momentum after the widely-criticised 2007 general elections.

Subsequent innovations, including the introduction of card readers in 2015 and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 2022, were praised as steps toward transparency, despite ongoing implementation challenges.

The provision for electronic transmission of results was also a major demand by civil society organisations during deliberations on the 2022 Electoral Act.

The advocates argued that it would reduce human interference and rebuild public trust in the electoral process.

Popular activist Randy Peters, who also addressed the protesters, accused the political class of betraying democratic ideals and vowed that demonstrations would continue until their demands were met.

“Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The June 12 struggle was about free and fair elections,” he said.

Invoking the legacy of the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, Peters questioned why elected officials would resist reforms designed to guarantee credible polls.

“In 2027, our votes must count. That is the most important thing. Tomorrow, they will meet us here again,” he said.