Prince Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the last election, came out to criticize President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Brazil.
He described the trip as a waste of scarce resources.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Adebayo claimed that Tinubu traveled in search of policies “contained in the manifesto of the SDP.”
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Speaking on the purpose of the visit, Adebayo stated, “What they have in Brazil is a poverty reduction manifesto and set of programmes and policies.
“If you look at the Bolsa Familia, which reduced poverty by 27 percent in Brazil in four years under President Lula da Silva’s government, it is the opposite of ‘subsidy is gone’ that increased poverty exponentially in Nigeria.”
He further compared the operations of Brazil’s Petrobras with Nigeria’s NNPC, saying, “They are polar opposites. So, the economic policy of President Tinubu is opposite the one that has succeeded in Brazil.
“I’m happy that he’s there because by going there, he will see how wrongheaded his own policies are.”
However, Adebayo also expressed disappointment at the expenditure involved in the visit. He said, “On the other hand, I am not happy that he went there to spend all that money.
“He could have spoken to me, he could have looked at the Social Democratic Party’s manifesto. he used to be a member of the SDP in good old days.”
Highlighting the difference between Brazil and Nigeria, the SDP chieftain added, “Why are you leaving the Brazilian type of manifesto which is available in Nigeria and then you are going to Brazil as a tourist to be in awe of the majesty of Brazil and the Brazilian economy as if it is by magic? It is by policy.”
Adebayo concluded that the visit should serve as a lesson for Nigeria on the importance of effective leadership, policy implementation, and economic planning.
