The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign over his alleged intervention in the controversy surrounding the freezing and subsequent unfreezing of Osun State Government accounts, insisting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, should not be blamed.
Adebayo said the growing calls for the resignation of the EFCC Chairman were misplaced, arguing that the responsibility for the controversy rests squarely with the President.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists in Abuja, the SDP presidential candidate maintained that law enforcement agencies should be allowed to operate independently without political interference.
“The person who should resign is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I do not have enough evidence to suggest that the EFCC Chairman should resign. The buck stops at the President’s table,” he said.
According to him, the EFCC acted within the powers granted to it by law, stressing that if Osun State believed its accounts were wrongly frozen, there were legal remedies available to challenge the action in court.
Adebayo argued that the President’s alleged directive ordering the anti-graft agency to unfreeze the accounts raises serious constitutional and legal concerns.
“If EFCC wrongly froze the account, there are legal processes for reversing it. What is wrong is for a politician to openly direct a law enforcement agency on how to conduct its operations. That is against the rule of law,” he stated.
The SDP flagbearer said his party would continue to support law enforcement institutions, noting that even when the SDP had disagreements with security agencies, it chose legal redress rather than demanding the removal of agency heads.
He further accused the Tinubu administration of undermining democratic institutions and creating avoidable crises through political interference.
Adebayo also criticised the President’s recent remarks during a meeting with Catholic Bishops, describing them as disappointing and unbecoming of a national leader.
He urged religious leaders not to relent in speaking truth to power and holding government accountable, saying Nigeria requires honest leadership and responsible governance.
On the 2027 presidential election, Adebayo dismissed ongoing debates over opposition coalitions and calls for a “single presidency”, arguing that the constitution already provides for only one president at a time.
“What Nigerians need is not another political arrangement but a competent leader who will respect the rule of law, unite the country and provide effective governance,” he said.
The SDP candidate blamed Nigeria’s challenges on poor leadership, corruption and lack of vision, insisting that no region of the country should be portrayed as a burden.
He maintained that the North remains one of Nigeria’s greatest assets, with enormous human and natural resources capable of driving national development under a responsible government.
Adebayo concluded by calling on Nigerians across political divides to work towards ending what he described as poor governance in the country and ensuring the emergence of accountable leadership in 2027.
