The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has accused President Bola Tinubu of promoting conflict of interest in government, alleging that the President publicly admitted to awarding contracts to business associates.
Adebayo said such conduct would amount to an impeachable offence in more accountable democracies.
Speaking during a televised interview, the SDP flagbearer criticised what he described as the collapse of transparency and accountability in public procurement under the current administration.
According to him, one of the major problems in Nigeria is that political office holders now double as contractors and business partners of those benefiting from government projects.
“It is not me; it is Mr. President Tinubu himself in Lagos, on camera, who said that the businessman I’m giving this contract to is my business partner, and we are going to do a lot of business together,” Adebayo alleged.
“In another country, he would be impeached on the spot,” he added.
The former presidential candidate argued that governance must be separated from private business interests, insisting that public funds should only be managed in line with constitutional provisions.
He accused the Tinubu administration of failing to comply with due process in the management of government revenue and appropriation.
“If you are to touch government money, which is public money, you must comply with Section 162 of the Constitution,” he said.
Adebayo further alleged that trillions of naira had been spent by the current administration without proper accountability.
