The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the Tinubu government, stating that ordinary Nigerians are worse off economically than they were before President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Adebayo made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, where he assessed the administration’s performance nearly three years after it came into power. He argued that the benefits of government policies had not translated into improved living conditions for citizens despite repeated claims by government officials that reforms were beginning to yield positive results.
According to him, economic realities across the country show that most Nigerians have experienced declining purchasing power, rising living costs and worsening hardship. “The fact of the matter is that no one’s life is better off except those who are in government,” Adebayo said.
“Even you asking the question knows that your life is no better off in terms of all the economic indicators. I know that my life is not better off, and those of my neighbours are not better off.”
The SDP chieftain said discussions about governance should focus on measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare rather than political loyalty or partisan arguments. He maintained that economic hardship and insecurity remain major concerns affecting households across different social and economic groups in the country.
Adebayo’s comments add to a series of criticisms he has directed at the Tinubu government since the implementation of key economic reforms, including subsidy removal and tax-related measures. In an earlier appearance on the same television platform in 2025, he accused the administration of placing excessive emphasis on revenue generation through taxation while failing to ease economic pressure on citizens.
“President Tinubu is a clever tax collector. He wants to collect taxes from you for everything, including the oxygen tax, very soon,” Adebayo had said. “If you’re not careful, yes, the air we breathe. Just give him time; he’s going to get there.”
He also criticised import duty policies introduced under the administration, describing them as burdensome for citizens and businesses. Adebayo argued that the current policy direction contrasts with the ideals Tinubu once projected during his years in the Social Democratic Party and the pro-democracy movement.
“It is an anti-people decision and a trend in the new Tinubu. Tinubu that used to be in SDP, following Abiola everywhere doing Hope 93, has practically changed to the side of the money people,” he said.
“They see you as a customer, not a citizen. If you have twins and triplets in your house, Tinubu is going to think of twins tax or ‘multiple childbirth tax.’ He’s just thinking of how to collect more money. It’s wrong.”
The remarks come amid ongoing national debates over economic reforms, public revenue growth and the impact of government policies on household welfare. While the Federal Government has defended its reforms as necessary for long-term economic stability, opposition figures and labour groups continue to argue that the policies have imposed severe financial strain on millions of Nigerians.
