Adebayo Unveils Welfare-State Agenda, Says Constitution Already Contains Nigeria’s Rescue Plan

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has declared that Nigeria does not need a new national blueprint to overcome poverty, insecurity and economic decline, insisting that the country’s salvation already lies in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution.
In an acceptance speech laced with constitutional arguments, sweeping policy promises and fierce criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Adebayo presented himself as the candidate seeking to transform the often-neglected provisions of the Constitution into a governing reality.
The SDP flagbearer argued that successive governments have treated Chapter II — the section dealing with the welfare, security and economic rights of citizens — as a mere statement of ideals rather than a practical guide to governance.
According to him, an SDP government would make those constitutional objectives the centrepiece of national policy.
“There is a book that brought us together. It’s called the Constitution of Nigeria,” Adebayo told delegates. “The Constitution says the resources of Nigeria shall be used for the welfare and security of Nigerians.”
Using the constitutional provisions as the framework of his campaign, Adebayo promised what he described as a people-centred government that would prioritise jobs, healthcare, education, infrastructure and security over political patronage.
He pledged to reduce poverty dramatically within the first 18 months of taking office and cut unemployment to single digits through a nationwide public works and industrialisation programme.
The former presidential candidate also outlined an ambitious welfare agenda that includes free and compulsory education from basic school to tertiary level, universal healthcare coverage, routine medical screenings for citizens and large-scale investments in public infrastructure.
Adebayo said his administration would channel funds recovered from corruption and government waste into roads, schools, hospitals and productive industries.
In what appeared to be a direct challenge to the prevailing economic model, he advocated the revival of Nigeria’s abandoned industrial assets, including steel complexes, textile mills, refineries, paper mills and manufacturing hubs across the country.
He argued that rebuilding productive industries would create jobs, stimulate local economies and reduce dependence on imports.
The SDP candidate reserved some of his strongest words for President Tinubu, accusing the administration of running government primarily as a commercial enterprise rather than a public service institution.
He alleged that current economic policies have worsened hardship, expanded inequality and weakened public confidence in governance.
Adebayo also linked insecurity to poor governance, arguing that terrorism, banditry and violent crime thrive where governments fail to provide economic opportunities and effective leadership.
Promising to rebuild the country’s security architecture, he said no part of Nigeria should remain under the control or influence of terrorists and criminal groups.
Beyond the policy promises, the speech reflected a broader attempt by the SDP candidate to position himself as a constitutional reformist, framing the 2027 election as a contest between governance driven by social welfare principles and what he described as the market-oriented approach of the current administration.
For Adebayo, the campaign message was unmistakable: Nigeria’s challenge is not the absence of solutions but the absence of leaders willing to implement the constitutional obligations already written into the nation’s founding document.