ABUJA — Prince Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has dismissed the current protests at the National Assembly as a mere “fashion parade,” warning that a far more decisive and “unpleasant” wave of civil action is being coordinated if the government continues to block mandatory electronic result transmission.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, Adebayo delivered a blistering ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate, accusing them of “pulling a gun” on Nigerian democracy. He insisted that the public’s patience has reached its elastic limit and that the opposition is prepared to “give the government what it wants” if the will of the people is ignored.
‘No E-Transmission, No Election’
Adebayo’s remarks come as the Joint Conference Committee struggles to harmonize the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. While the House of Representatives has pushed for technology, the Senate’s rejection of mandatory uploads has been labeled a “Renewed Rigging Plan” by the ADC and other opposition blocs.
“If you don’t make electronic transmission of results possible, it means you want an end to this democracy and we will give it to you,” Adebayo stated. “At the termination of your tenure, you will leave office… because there will be no elections without these safeguards. You don’t tell me to wait until you pull the trigger; the moment you pull out the gun is the time I react.”
The ‘Forest Signal’ vs. The Senate’s Excuse
The SDP chieftain joined a growing chorus of critics, including David Mark and Zekeri Idris, who have mocked the Senate’s “poor network” excuse. He argued that it is a national embarrassment for the government to claim a lack of connectivity for elections while bandits and terrorists successfully livestream their atrocities from the country’s most remote forests.
“They are protecting their regime, not the people,” Adebayo added, echoing the recent “regime security” warning from former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai. He suggested that the Senate leadership is “mortally afraid” of a transparent 2027 vote because of the staggering ₦152 trillion national debt and the looming ₦1,000 petrol price.
A Looming Constitutional Crisis
The “fashion parade” jibe was a direct reference to the peaceful protest led by Mr. Peter Obi and civil society groups on Monday. Adebayo hinted that the next phase of the struggle would involve a total withdrawal of recognition for the current administration if it “mutilates” the electoral laws.
The tension coincides with an emergency plenary session scheduled for today, Tuesday, February 10, 2026, where the Senate is expected to address the mounting national dejection. Analysts warn that if the leadership fails to pivot, Adebayo’s “next phase” could trigger a level of instability that even the $9 million lobbying efforts in Washington cannot sanitize.
