SDP Presidential Candidate Adebayo Accuses Tinubu Of Turning Nigeria’s Transparent ‘Option A4’ Electoral System Into ‘Option A-Fraud’

Abuja, Nigeria– Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of undermining Nigeria’s democratic process and transforming the country’s once-celebrated “Option A4” voting system into what he described as “Option A-Fraud.”

Adebayo made this known while speaking on the state of Nigeria’s democracy and the ongoing political transition process, warning that the country was gradually drifting toward authoritarianism under the guise of civilian rule.

The SDP chieftain referenced the famous Option A4 electoral model introduced during Nigeria’s Third Republic, describing it as one of the most transparent voting systems ever implemented in the country’s political history.

According to him, the electoral framework, which was championed by late electoral reform advocates and implemented under the supervision of former National Electoral Commission Chairman, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, was designed to ensure transparency and credibility because voters openly queued behind their preferred candidates while votes were counted physically and publicly at polling units.

“When Professor Omo Omoruyi and others developed democratic studies during the Third Republic and Humphrey Nwosu implemented Option A4, it was done because it was basic and transparent,” Adebayo stated.

The presidential candidate, however, stated that the Tinubu administration had allegedly corrupted that democratic legacy and replaced it with large-scale electoral manipulation.

“Did anybody believe that President Tinubu can turn Option A4 into Option A-Fraud, where you announce 11 million votes when the people physically present are not even close to that figure?” he asked.

Adebayo further noted that election figures were being manipulated in ways that allegedly defied logic, transparency and basic arithmetic.

“You count one, two, three, four and suddenly jump to ninety-nine,” he said, describing the process as “elliptical arithmetic.”

The SDP presidential candidate for the 2027 general election also accused the current administration of allegedly centralising power and weakening democratic institutions in order to dominate Nigeria’s political space ahead of future elections.

According to him, President Tinubu seeks to extend his influence beyond the ruling party by controlling opposition parties and institutions that should ordinarily remain independent.

“He wants to belong to every political party, control every political party, control INEC and dictate who emerges,” Adebayo alleged.

The politician warned Nigerians against treating the current political developments as ordinary political disagreements, insisting that the country faced a deeper democratic crisis capable of eroding constitutional governance if left unchecked.

“This is no longer about party differences or ideology. It is about preventing Nigeria from becoming the personal estate of one man,” he said.

Adebayo also accused the Federal Government of allegedly sponsoring internal crises within opposition parties as part of efforts to weaken resistance ahead of future elections.

He cited the recent controversy surrounding the SDP national secretariat, alleging that security agencies were deployed to intimidate party members and facilitate the activities of individuals he described as government-backed agents.

The SDP leader called on opposition parties, civil society organisations, the media and Nigerian youths to rise in defence of democracy and resist what he termed “a prolonged coronation disguised as an election.”

According to him, the future of Nigeria’s democracy now depends on citizens refusing to remain silent in the face of alleged political intimidation and institutional capture.

“This is the fight of our generation,” Adebayo stated. “Once Nigerians defeat this idea of one-man control, nobody will attempt it again.”

The remarks add to growing political tensions ahead of the 2027 general election, as opposition figures continue to raise concerns about the independence of democratic institutions and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process under the current administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.