Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, says President Bola Tinubu’s emergence is “a painful lesson” for Nigerians, rather than a blessing.
He made this statement at a Ramadan Iftar event in Kano, organized by the AAFAQ Foundation.
He noted that Tinubu’s presidency should serve as a wake-up call for Nigerians to prioritize like justice and unity over ethnic or religious considerations.
Recalling his campaign visit to Kano four years ago, the SDP chieftain said he sensed that Nigerians were yet to learn critical lessons about leadership and justice.
“Four years ago, I was in the city of Kano campaigning for the president of Nigeria. And I could see that God wanted to teach us a lesson in Nigeria. And until we learn that lesson, there is nothing the world can do. Almighty Allah does not make mistakes,” he said.
He urged Nigerians not to interpret Mr. Tinubu’s victory as divine favour, but rather as a wake-up call to embrace justice and shun divisive politics.
“It is better to live in a country that is a desert with no water, no oil, no mineral resources, but that has justice, than to live in a land of plenty with injustice,” he stated.
Speaking on the controversial Muslim–Muslim ticket that featured prominently in the 2023 election, Mr. Adebayo said he had cautioned against the excitement that surrounded the issue at the time.
“When I came to Kano, people were smiling when they were mentioning Muslim–Muslim ticket. I said, don’t worry. Let the election finish. A time will come when, if they are looking for two Muslims, they may not even get one,” he said.
Mr. Adebayo also condemned the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran, stressing that innocent civilians should not be subjected to violence, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
“This is not a time for people to gather and decide to unleash fire and stones on others who are simply observing the holy month in their own country,” he added.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of AAFAQ Foundation, Abdulmutallib Muhammad, said the group invited the former presidential candidate because of shared values centred on promoting credible leadership.
He explained that the foundation, made up of Islamic clerics
