By Sunday Ani
Against the backdrop of nationwide protests slated for 1 August, planned by youth groups and others unhappy with the state of the nation, Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has accused the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government of implementing the same International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank policies as Goodluck Jonathan’s administration – policies he, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and others previously protested against.
Adebayo expressed reservations about the proposed protests. He argued that it is more effective to identify and prevent “empty-headed IMF drones” from being elected than to try to remove them through riots.
Writing on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, @Pres_Adebayo, he described the protests as reminiscent of the political gimmicks employed by Buhari, Tinubu, and others who protested against Jonathan for implementing the same policies they now pursue, albeit with “less humanity,” according to Adebayo.
“I opposed the Buhari-Tinubu farce [at] that time, and I oppose the same thing now,” he stated. “As Buhari and Tinubu and others were opposing Jonathan in 2014, they too were lobbying the same IMF and World Bank for political support based on the same policies Jonathan was already implementing against his own wish, just to please the same IMF.”
Read also: Fulani group commends Tinubu on creation of livestock ministry
As the SDP presidential candidate, Adebayo reminded the public that he opposed the removal of fuel subsidies, the floating of the Naira, and many policies adopted by Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi. Instead, he advocated for the full implementation of Chapter 2 of the Constitution, focusing on fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy.
He explained that his reservation about the protests stemmed from the fact that elections have consequences, and the winner must be allowed to govern. “Four-year tenure is sacred if we must avoid chaos,” he asserted. “Protests have no ideological basis because the protest sponsors follow the same neoliberal policies, [and] you must vote wisely next time.”
Adebayo urged African youths to prioritise ideological politics, paying attention to politicians’ words and actions, both past and present, rather than treating them as celebrities. He argued that voicing disagreement in any lawful forum or media is a form of protest. However, organising mass protests against policy measures and their consequences becomes a political act, inviting counter-protests.
“In the case of Nigeria and Kenya, you won’t achieve anything substantial because the major political forces on both sides of the protests agree on neoliberal economic policies, [and] whose inevitable consequences are what they are protesting against,” Adebayo explained.
He believes it is more sustainable to organise around alternative policies and different ideological approaches to gain power and enact change. He suggested that instead of resorting to protests, focusing on alternatives to IMF-inspired neoliberal policies, organising voters to act in their socioeconomic best interests, resisting chaos instigated by domestic and foreign actors, and exposing the APC government’s lies would be more productive.