The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has pledged to revive Nigeria’s economy, tackle insecurity, create full employment and increase electricity generation to between 50,000 and 75,000 megawatts if elected in the 2027 presidential election.
Adebayo made the pledge on Thursday in Abuja during an engagement with leaders of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), describing the meeting as the first step in his consultations ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said his administration would tackle insecurity from the community level through effective community-based security structures, while ending government sponsorship or enablement of criminal activities.
The SDP candidate also promised to promote productivity through transparent management of public revenue, full employment and the separation of public officials from government contracting.
According to him, economic production would be decentralised to the states and local governments to boost agriculture, infrastructure, employment and national productivity.
“The only way a country can be wealthy is if the people of that country are producing a surplus. I will engage all Nigerians in full employment so that they can be productive,” he said.
On electricity, Adebayo said Nigeria had outgrown its current power generation capacity, stressing the need to target between 50,000MW and 75,000MW to meet future demand.
He said the target would be achieved through a combination of solar, gas and hydroelectric power, alongside the rehabilitation of existing hydro stations and reforms in the electricity market.
“Any presidential candidate who is not giving you a plan for 50,000 megawatts is behind time. Nigeria has passed the age that 10,000 megawatts or 20,000 megawatts was what we needed,” he said.
Adebayo added that solar energy would account for a significant portion of the planned generation, while Nigeria’s abundant gas resources would also be deployed to expand electricity supply.
He further pledged to reform the mining sector to enable the country to derive greater revenue from its deposits of gold, lithium, rare earth minerals and other solid minerals.
On foreign policy, the SDP candidate said his administration would pursue partnerships that would strengthen Nigeria’s security, education, technology and access to international markets.
He also promised stronger consular protection for Nigerians living abroad and better management of migration to ensure that Nigerians remained productive and respected globally.
Adebayo said his administration would promote inclusive governance, social justice and equitable representation, arguing that Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as an asset rather than a source of division.
Responding, Deputy President of the Middle Belt Forum, Mr Idi Waziri, said the forum had not changed its position on power rotation, equity and justice.
Waziri explained that the MBF supported a southern presidential candidate in 2023 to facilitate the transfer of power from the North to the South and give Nigerians a sense of belonging.
He said the forum expected the South to complete its agreed eight-year tenure, after which the Middle Belt would seek the opportunity to produce Nigeria’s president in 2031.
“Our position as a Middle Belt Forum has always been very open. We believe in justice, equity and carrying everybody along,” Waziri said.
He, however, said the forum would consult its various organs, including its political, cultural, youth, women and elders’ structures, before taking a position on Adebayo’s 2027 aspiration.
Earlier, SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, described Adebayo as a credible and viable alternative for Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election.
Gombe said Adebayo had demonstrated responsibility, courage, commitment and patriotism by remaining with the party after the 2023 general election instead of abandoning it.
He assured the MBF that the SDP would not take its reception for granted, promising that the party would continue to engage Nigerians and stakeholders on its plans to reposition the country.
Gombe said Nigeria required leadership capable of restoring its position in Africa and the global community, stressing that the country’s population and strategic importance made effective governance imperative.
He commended the MBF for receiving the SDP delegation and assured that the party would sustain consultations ahead of the 2027 elections.
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