A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has stirred public debate after declaring President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be “smarter” than his political opponents, including Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Sowunmi, who served as the spokesperson for PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
His recent meeting with the president at his Bourdillon residence in Lagos during the Eid celebrations has drawn criticism from within his party, with many questioning his loyalty to Atiku and the PDP.
In response, Sowunmi defended his decision, insisting it was neither a betrayal nor an abandonment of his political ideals. “I am at liberty as an adult to take decisions. I am not tied to anybody. I am not anti-Tinubu,” he said. “I own my mouth, I own my words, and I own my arguments.”
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The PDP stalwart pushed back against assumptions that he must align unconditionally with Atiku’s current political agenda, noting, “Is he [Atiku] running for president now? He’s running a coalition that everybody knows I am not part of. Why would anyone assume I don’t have my individuality? Do you know how long I’ve been in the party?”
On President Tinubu’s leadership, Sowunmi expressed cautious admiration, noting that the president’s governance style is more strategic and dynamic than his opponents’. “By miles, he is smarter than them. He is smarter than Peter Obi, he is smarter than others,” Sowunmi said.
He added that many critics are too quick to demonize every government policy without understanding the complexity of governance. “I began to be uncomfortable with the demonising of all policies by those who don’t understand what it takes to design futuristic ideas that could work,” he said.
According to him, his visit to the president was driven by concern for Nigeria’s democracy and curiosity about Tinubu’s perceived frailty. “His brain is very alert, he is fit. You know when you are asking someone questions and he is answering without looking at a book,” Sowunmi remarked.
Despite his shift in tone toward the president, Sowunmi was firm about one boundary: he will not accept any political appointment from the APC administration while remaining a member of the PDP.
Sowunmi’s comments echo a similar shift seen in November 2024, when another of Atiku’s former spokespersons, Daniel Bwala, accepted an appointment as President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication after previously being a staunch critic of the administration.
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