Yemi Obafemi
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has said that the party’s internal crisis and the recent wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are self-inflicted wounds that could have been avoided.
Speaking on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sowunmi criticized the party’s leadership for its continued failure to address longstanding issues, adding that the PDP must take responsibility for its current troubles.
“There is a level of activity that you can blame your bullies for, but there is a certain level of recurring, continuous lack of creativity that you have to hold yourself responsible for,” Sowunmi stated.
He also warned against underestimating President Bola Tinubu, describing him as intellectually formidable despite his physical appearance.
“One of the things that people do is fall prey to the frail nature of President Bola Tinubu. I know him for his intellectual capacity. He may look frail, but his brain is that of a giant. Sometimes people underestimate him to their own peril,” he said.
Sowunmi expressed concern that the PDP continues to act as though Tinubu is an easy political opponent. “The painful thing is that my own side is choosing to pretend that he is an easy material to defeat in politics. What do they know that he doesn’t know?” he asked.
Addressing the defection of Peter Obi and his growing popularity, Sowunmi pointed out that the former Anambra State governor, who ran under the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, garnered 6.2 million votes and lost both at the polls and in court.
He suggested the PDP should now focus on reconciliation, especially with Obi, whose political momentum he described as “organic.”
“Any deep-thinking, fair-minded Nigerian man who is in the political party called the PDP ought to know that the greatest, necessary next step is to have the conversation about: ‘How do you bring Peter back’ now that the energy driving him is organic,” he said.
Sowunmi’s comments come amid ongoing concerns about PDP’s unity and future as Nigeria’s major opposition party.
