By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has condemned Nigeria’s healthcare system following the death of gospel singer Toluwanisings, describing emergency medical response in the country as virtually nonexistent.
The singer’s death has reignited public outrage over access to emergency care, following reports that he was turned away by several hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State, after collapsing at his apartment, with facilities reportedly citing a doctors’ strike and a lack of medical personnel.
In a statement by Comrade Mark Adebayo, Chief Adviser on Media and Communications to the Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign, the SDP candidate described the 41-year-old singer’s death as avoidable and accused the country’s leadership of neglecting public healthcare.
“I am very sad about this tragic but avoidable tragedy. Nigeria continues to lose its citizens simply because of a broken healthcare system or even an outright absence of one, especially emergency medical response. It is zero!” he said.
Toluwanisings, whose real name was Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, reportedly collapsed on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, less than 24 hours after ministering at a monthly worship concert.
According to accounts attributed to his personal assistant and media reports, efforts to secure treatment took him to between seven and eight hospitals in Ibadan, but he reportedly failed to receive the emergency care he needed.
Adebayo contrasted Nigeria’s healthcare system with that of neighbouring Benin Republic, alleging that Nigerians increasingly cross the border in search of medical treatment.
“You cannot believe that Benin Republic, a country that Nigeria is about 20 times its size and much less resourced than Nigeria, has one of the best medical facilities and personnel in West Africa. Many Nigerians go across the border to Republic of Benin to receive medical treatment because if they remain in Nigeria they will die avoidable deaths,” he said.
He accused political leaders of neglecting public hospitals because they could afford to seek medical treatment abroad, leaving ordinary Nigerians to bear the consequences of a failing system.
“The people in government don’t care about providing functional healthcare for the people because if they suffer ordinary mosquito bite they’re running abroad for treatment. Meanwhile, Nigerians are dying in their hundreds daily of treatable diseases,” Adebayo added.
The singer’s death has also triggered widespread criticism on social media, with activist VeryDarkMan among those blaming the government for the state of public healthcare and questioning the failure to provide effective emergency services.
Returning to the human cost of the crisis, Adebayo lamented the loss of an emerging artiste whose career, he said, held considerable promise.
“Now we have lost a growing young artiste with a more promising future to the cold hands of death due to the country’s leadership carelessness. Nigeria has become a situation of the dead mourning the dead. So pathetic!” he lamented.
He extended his condolences to the singer’s family, the Church and the music industry.
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