Tinubu Implementing IMF Programmes He kicked Against Under Jonathan – SDP Presidential Candidate

Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the last election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has berated President Bola Tinubu for adopting the International Monetary Fund, IMF and World Bank policies that the then opposition parties protested against during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Adebayo was speaking against the planned nationwide protests on August 1 organised by some groups and youths on social media.

Adebayo who expressed skepticism about the success of the protest, stated that the use of “empty-headed IMF drones” in stopping leaders from gaining power through elections would be more effective than attempting to remove them through riots.

In a post on his X account, the Presidential Candidate said the protests are similar to the sheer political gimmicks of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu, protesting against Jonathan for the same policies that they are now pursuing, even with less humanity.

• Tinubu Appoints Obafunwa, ex-LASU VC as DG Medical Research Institute
• Katsina Emir, locals laud Tinubu over road construction

He said, “I opposed the Buhari-Tinubu farce that time, and I oppose the same thing now. As Buhari and Tinubu, and others were opposing Jonathan in 2014, they too were lobbying the same IMF, World Bank, for political support based on the same policies Jonathan was already implementing against his own wish, just to please the same IMF.

“As SDP presidential candidate, it is common knowledge that I opposed subsidy removal, floating of the naira, and many of the policies adopted by Tinubu, Atiku and Obi. Instead I called for the full implementation of Chapter 2 of the Constitution fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy.”

Adebayo who said he was not in support of the protest noted that “four year tenure is sacred if we must avoid chaos, protests have no ideological basis for the protest sponsors follow the same neo liberal policies and you must vote wisely next time.”

He further added that African youths, particularly, must prioritise ideological politics and listen to what politicians say, have said, do and have done instead of fanning up after them as celebrities.

“A protest is already a protest if you voice out disagreement in any lawful forum or media. Once you organise a mass protest to challenge pure policy measures and their natural fallouts, you are doing politics, and the other side can originate 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 neolibéral economic policies whose inevitable consequences are what they are protesting against.

“It is more sustainable to organise alternative policies to use to bring other ideological politics into power and change bad policies of the Neolibéral economic policies, whose inevitable consequences are what they are protesting against.”