Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has faulted  President Bola Tinubu’s claim that his administration is performing well, stressing the president has failed to deploy power for effective governance.

Adebayo said the president has missed opportunities to utilise competent talents, even within his party, to create a sound and effective government.

In an interaction with newsmen, Adebayo said “He is in power, not in government,” noting that the president has focused on consolidating authority rather than implementing policies that address the country’s challenges.

While acknowledging some progress in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Ministry of Interior, he argued that these exceptions do not reflect broader governmental success.

He said, “I don’t agree because he is not in government, he is only in power, he is not using the power to govern.”

He is using the power for other things, so he is not able to know what it means to say the government is doing well. But in FCT for example, that is one area you can say you see a sign that they want to govern, the Minister that he put there, and the one in Interior, I think the two ministers  are making serious attempts to govern, outside that, I’m sorry, there is no sign that they want to govern”.

Addressing the president’s recent media chat, Adebayo likened the public’s reaction to the excitement of hearing a previously mute child speak. While commending the president for finally addressing the nation, he criticized the lack of regular engagement and substance.

“The presidential media chat should be routine,” he said, adding that the media must hold the president accountable instead of treating such occasions as ceremonial events. For Adebayo, “If what he said on that day, many of which I disagree with, but if what he said that day represents  the day he came to power, if that is what he has to say in several months, almost one and a half years, I’m not impressed with that.

“The presidential media chat should be routine, should be done regularly. President should answer questions on a day-to-day basis, to convince the people that he understands what he is doing; understands the philosophy behind his actions, he knows the implications and he has a kind of vision on what he wants to do, and I assume that the media will not go there like Christmas guests, who are being polite to their host, they should go there and do their own job too”, he stated .

Despite his reservations about Tinubu’s policies and governance style, Adebayo urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, describing hope as a personal investment that transcends any administration.

“Even during the civil war, when there was no food or security, people remained hopeful. Governance should not define hope; it is what keeps us going as a nation,” he stated.

He further noted that Nigerians should not see the current administration as their only alternative, as leadership in the country is not confined to one individual or one government.

“The hope of Nigerians should stretch beyond Tinubu’s four-year tenure, as there will always be opportunities for change and better policies. If you are going on a journey, and you have a bad vehicle, you still hope that there are other vehicles you can take. If you have a bad driver, there are other drivers you can take, so, your hope is not invested in one government, your hope is not invested in one individual, it is not invested in one period because the country is continuous, on that basis, Nigerians  have a very good reason to be hopeful”.