Nigeria Worth Believing In – Adebayo

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2027 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said while successive governments have failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations, citizens should not lose hope in the country’s future.

Speaking during engagements with Nigerians across the country yesterday, Adebayo said leadership should focus on restoring public confidence and strengthening citizens’ faith in national institutions.

According to him, many Nigerians have become increasingly disconnected from government and uncertain about the future.

“We believed we had to go out and restore hope to the people — to ensure that Nigerians did not lose faith in their country at a time many felt abandoned and unprotected,” he said.

He added that government shortcomings should not be interpreted as a failure of the nation itself.

“People were beginning to question whether anyone still cared, whether government still remembered them. But our message was simple: Nigeria remains a project worth believing in. It still holds great promise and remains one of the greatest places anyone can call home. The failures of government must never be mistaken for the failure of the nation itself,” Adebayo stated.

Adebayo also spoke about his approach to public service, saying that values and a commitment to the public good should guide politics.

“We also want Nigerians to know that politics does not have to be dirty. A politician can still be decent, principled and committed to the common good. Public service can still reflect family values, faith and humanity,” he said.

On education, Adebayo said support had been provided to students in several tertiary institutions across the country, including assistance with tuition, accommodation, registration fees, books, and other academic needs.

Institutions mentioned include Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ekiti State University, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Adeyemi University of Education, Adekunle Ajasin University, Adamawa State University, Abia State University, Delta State University and Ambrose Alli University.

He also said assistance had been extended to small business owners, traders, artisans and young entrepreneurs through various empowerment initiatives.

According to him, efforts to address poverty should include creating opportunities for individuals to improve their economic conditions.

Adebayo further called for reforms in Nigeria’s political system, arguing that addressing the country’s challenges would require changes beyond the election of a new president.

“We hope to transform the politics that produced our present challenges. Changing one president alone will not solve Nigeria’s problems; changing the political culture will. And to change the system, we must first build stronger political parties and raise people’s expectations. When citizens raise their standards, politics will rise with them,” he said.