Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party's presidential candidate, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He accused the administration of prioritizing tax collection over genuine economic development.
During a televised interview, Adebayo painted a stark picture of government priorities. He said Tinubu's approach focused on extracting revenue rather than building productive capacity.
The SDP flagbearer clarified his position on taxation. He's not against taxes, he noted, but government must create conditions for growth first.
"You cannot form a government for the purposes solely of extracting tax from the people," Adebayo said.
His vision differs sharply from current policy. Government should stimulate productivity, back innovation, and help small businesses scale up, he argued.
"A government is a facilitator. A government is not a pickpocket," Adebayo declared during the interview.
Young entrepreneurs and small business owners are suffering most under present policies. The administration should invest in their potential instead, according to him.
Adebayo cited a practical example to illustrate his point. "You make sure that this young man who is driving Uber, if I invest a little in him, he can be manufacturing drones for me because he has intellectual capacity," he said.
He painted another scenario involving business growth. "If you have a small business, you are not immediately trying to take the money of that business.
You think of how it can grow into a franchise across West Africa and become a Nigerian brand," Adebayo noted.
Instead, the government is doing the opposite. Heavy taxation and suffocating policies are crippling struggling Nigerians, he contended.
"The idea is not what he is doing, which is to extract tax and kill you right at the beginning," Adebayo stated.
He also renewed criticism of the fuel subsidy removal policy. Tinubu's decision has worsened hardship rather than combating corruption, the SDP candidate argued.
"I said President Tinubu's policies would ruin the economy and ruin purchasing power for the people," he said.
Nigerians face an impossible situation today. According to him, earning an honest living has become virtually impossible regardless of income levels.
"No matter how much your organisation pays you in Nigeria, you cannot earn an honest living," Adebayo argued forcefully.
An SDP administration would chart a completely different course. Adebayo promised focus on productivity, industrial growth, small business support, and constitutional implementation for citizen welfare.
