By Jelili Gbadamosi
Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, has criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over its approach to governance and the distribution of ministerial appointments.
Adebayo spoke on Thursday while addressing the Middle Belt Forum, where he argued that effective governance requires leaders to have a clear understanding of the country and the challenges confronting its citizens.
He questioned whether President Tinubu had been able to adequately navigate the complexities of governing Nigeria, comparing the situation to putting an inexperienced person in an aircraft cockpit and exposing them to unfamiliar controls.
“You assume an office and you don’t know what it means, it’s like carrying a young man into the cockpit of an aircraft. He is seeing so many buttons, he does not know what that represent,” Adebayo said.
He added that a leader in such a situation could resort to making decisions without properly understanding their consequences or rely on others to handle critical responsibilities.
Adebayo also criticised the composition of the Federal Executive Council, particularly what he described as the concentration of important ministerial positions in particular states and local government areas.
He cited the Ministers of Finance and Interior, whom he said were from the same local government in his state, arguing that such an arrangement did not reflect responsible governance.
“We do not have the greed to go to one state and choose three ministers for one state. Where in my state, for example, the Minister of Finance and Minister of Interior are from the same local government. Nobody who is a responsible leader will govern like that,” he said.
The SDP candidate maintained that government appointments should reflect broader representation and ensure that different parts of the country have a sense of inclusion in the administration.
He argued that leadership appointments should be based on a fair consideration of Nigeria’s diversity rather than being concentrated in particular geographical or political constituencies.
Adebayo’s comments add to the ongoing criticism of the Tinubu administration by opposition figures over its governance policies and political appointments.
