Adewole Adebayo, the former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has raised concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, stating that while he has assembled the right team, his approach may not be suitable for Nigerians.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adebayo emphasized that the method employed by the Tinubu administration, particularly regarding the removal of petrol subsidy, is not conducive for the current economic climate.

“If I were Nigeria’s President, I wouldn’t remove petrol subsidy from day one but would have approached the National Assembly to amend the 2023 Appropriation Act to allow subsidy for a while,” Adebayo stated, highlighting the need for a more gradual approach to policy implementation.

He further criticized the handling of key issues such as the cost of governance, subsidies, and the forex crisis, suggesting that while there may be short-term benefits, the long-term impact on ordinary Nigerians outweighs any gains.

Adebayo cautioned against blindly adopting the policies of the incumbent administration, arguing that regardless of the presidential candidate, similar outcomes would have emerged due to the flawed economic strategies in place.

As Nigeria grapples with rising inflation, food inflation, and economic hardship exacerbated by the forex crisis and removal of petrol subsidy, Adebayo’s remarks underscore growing concerns over the efficacy of government policies in addressing the country’s pressing economic challenges.