Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo has pledged to overhaul government expenditure, promising to prioritise public services over the cost of maintaining political officeholders if elected president.

Vanguard reported that Adebayo made the commitment through a statement signed by Mark Adebayo, Chief Media and Communications Adviser to the Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign. The SDP candidate said funds spent on official luxuries could instead support education, healthcare and infrastructure.

The campaign argued that Nigeria’s economic difficulties were being worsened by government spending decisions that placed executive privileges ahead of citizens’ welfare. It pointed to expenditure on official vehicles, presidential fleet upgrades, State House renovations and programmes for political aides as areas requiring scrutiny.

Citing budget analyses and civil society expenditure tracking, the statement put spending on such federal items at nearly N1 trillion across budget cycles. It also claimed that 33 state governments spent more than $300 million, estimated at N410 billion, on governors’ offices, Government Houses and executive travel in the first half of 2026.

Adebayo said his proposed administration would review these spending practices and eliminate what he described as wasteful expenditure. He also pledged to address vehicle-related allowances, improve the management of public funds and redirect government resources towards essential services and infrastructure.