A fresh political storm is brewing as an opposition presidential candidate takes aim at President Bola Tinubu over his leadership and campaign plans.
SDP presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo has told President Bola Tinubu to go home and let Nigeria breathe.
He made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.
His response followed reports that Tinubu plans to skip some state campaign rallies ahead of the presidential election.
At the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, Tinubu asked party members to take the message to the states and local governments while he continues to govern.
Adebayo said that if Tinubu is too tired to campaign, he is too weak to govern.
He called Tinubu a “president in absentia.”
He pointed to long medical trips he said were disguised as working visits, absences during national emergencies, and reliance on proxies to announce state policies.
He also claimed the President is avoiding the campaign trail because he fears public anger over fuel subsidy removal, high inflation and currency instability.
He said Tinubu is “hiding because he cannot face public anger.”
Adebayo urged the government to put national interest first and be open about the President’s ability to lead for the rest of his term.
“It is time to face reality: step aside, go home, and let this country breathe,” he said.