2027: SDP’s Adebayo vows to end waste on politicians’ lavish lifestyles

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has pledged to end what he described as wasteful spending on the lavish lifestyles of political office holders if elected president.

Adebayo said his administration would redirect funds spent on luxury vehicles, bulletproof sports utility vehicles (SUVs), chartered flights, government house renovations and expensive official trips to education, healthcare, and critical national infrastructure.

He made the pledge in a statement issued on Tuesday by Comrade Mark Adebayo, Chief Media and Communications Adviser to the Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign.

The SDP candidate blamed Nigeria’s economic hardship on what he described as the ruling class’s preference for wasteful expenditure over human capital development.

“We will stop Nigerians from subsidising the lavish lifestyles of politicians,” he said.

He argued that the country’s economic challenges stemmed not from a lack of resources but from the alleged mismanagement of public funds and misplaced spending priorities.

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According to him, successive budgets had allocated substantial public funds to the comfort of political office holders while millions of Nigerians grappled with inflation, rising fuel costs and declining social services.

Adebayo claimed that political extravagance across federal and state governments cost trillions of naira annually.

Citing what he described as fiscal estimates from civil society tracking reports, national budget analyses and state-level implementation disclosures, he alleged that nearly N1 trillion was regularly allocated or spent across budget cycles on luxury utility vehicles, presidential fleet upgrades, government house renovations and regional empowerment schemes for political aides.

He also cited what he described as mid-2026 budget implementation updates, claiming that 33 state governments spent more than $300 million, equivalent to approximately N410 billion, on governors’ offices, government houses and executive travels within six months.

He said the figures indicated an annual expenditure exceeding N1 trillion across the 36 states.

However, the statement did not name the specific reports or provide detailed documentation to substantiate the figures.

The SDP candidate also criticised the procurement of luxury armoured vehicles and official management fleets, alleging that some government agencies had made multi-billion-naira purchases while some state governments acquired luxury vehicles outside standard appropriation bills.

He described the spending as wasteful amid the economic difficulties facing Nigerians under the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adebayo said an SDP-led government would eliminate what he termed multi-trillion-naira leakages in public expenditure.

He maintained that four years would be enough for a determined and transparent administration to restructure public finances, abolish unconstitutional vehicle allowances and establish functional infrastructure.

He also urged Nigerians to reject politicians who, according to him, treat public funds as personal resources.

Adebayo said the SDP was committed to building an economic system focused on public welfare, domestic production, and transparent service delivery.

The statement reiterated the party’s position that cutting wasteful government spending would free up resources for essential services and improve the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.