Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adebayo, has accused President Bola Tinubu of poor leadership, saying his administration has shown gross incompetence in managing the affairs of the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Adebayo said the recent confusion surrounding the presidential pardon list exposed disorder and carelessness within the presidency, arguing that the incident reflected a lack of discipline and poor supervision on the part of the president and his advisers.
“The president is not competent in the discharge of his duties, and the incompetence of the president is caused by the incompetence of the presidency and the attorney general.
“This government is grossly incompetent. The whole presidency is grossly incompetent, and they don’t even know how to manage a simple matter like the prerogative of mercy.” he said.
THE WHISTLER reports that earlier this month, President Bola Tinubu had approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across various categories, including Nigeria’s foremost nationalist, Herbert Macaulay, and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retd).
Advertisement
The approval was also endorsed by the Council of State following a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), during its meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Speaking, Adebayo claimed that presidential documents were being mishandled and possibly traded by those close to power, saying many undeserving names were smuggled into official pardon lists without proper scrutiny.
“It looks to me that people are trading every presidential paper, including clemency. Many who don’t deserve to be there get smuggled in, and the president simply signs without knowing.” he said.
Adebayo said the development showed a lack of discipline and supervision within the administration, adding that those in charge of sensitive offices had turned governance into a “transactional exercise.”
He also took a swipe at presidential spokespersons, accusing them of acting in an unpresidential manner by attacking citizens who criticise the government saying the role of a presidential aide was to explain and defend policy, not to fight or insult the public.
Advertisement
On the recent #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja, Adebayo stated that every citizen had a constitutional right to protest peacefully but expressed concern over the participation of Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor.
According to him, it was unprofessional for a lawyer handling an ongoing court case to join a protest related to the same matter.
Maintaining that Kanu’s continued detention required a political approach rather than endless litigation, Adebayo urged the President to demonstrate leadership by pursuing dialogue and reconciliation.
“A political leader does not criminalize his citizens. If President Tinubu sees that there’s a political dimension to Kanu’s case, it doesn’t stop him from finding a political solution. Mandela did it, others did too,” he said.
He added that Kanu should also show readiness for peace by renouncing divisive rhetoric and embracing dialogue.
Commenting on the National Assembly’s move to demand details of financial support given to state governments by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Ministry of Finance, Adebayo said federal lawmakers were within their rights to seek accountability. He, however, argued that the bigger problem lay with state assemblies that fail to properly monitor governors’ spending.
Advertisement
He said most of the hardship Nigerians face results from failures at the state and local government levels, where institutions of accountability have become weak.
On the recent tanker explosion in Niger State that claimed several lives, Adebayo blamed the tragedy on what he described as “governmental failure” at all levels. He said the incident was a reminder that Nigeria’s leaders had neglected basic safety standards and road maintenance.
“It’s a miracle that more people haven’t died on those roads. Everybody is sleeping on duty from federal to local government,” he lamented.
He proposed a tracking system for petroleum tankers to prevent reckless driving and diversion, and called for road safety responsibilities to be transferred from the Federal Road Safety Commission to state authorities.
“Road safety should be local. You can’t have an accident in Minna and expect someone in Abuja to explain it. Governance must come closer to the people.
“Good governance starts with sincerity. Until those in power stop chasing headlines and start solving real problems, Nigerians will continue to suffer for failures that can be avoided,” he added.