Atiku Destabilising Nigeria with Serial Quest for Presidency, Alleges Sowunmi
Former Ogun State governorship candidate, Segun Sowunmi, has launched a scathing criticism against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of destabilising Nigeria’s political landscape through his decades-long quest for the presidency.
Appearing on Channels Television’s LunchTime Politics on Tuesday, Sowunmi, who was once a loyalist to Atiku, expressed deep frustration with the former vice president’s continuous ambition, which he said has dated back to 1992. According to him, Atiku’s unrelenting pursuit of power has done little to advance the nation’s political stability or inspire hope for meaningful leadership.
“With your petty politics, you’re destabilising the country, you’re instigating the people, and you’re not even allowing those in government to have the sense and the stability to do their jobs,” Sowunmi said during the televised interview.
He stressed that despite several presidential attempts by Atiku across various election cycles, the Adamawa-born politician has yet to offer fresh, visionary ideas for transforming the country. “We’ve not heard anything from you that is inspirational enough to say, ‘Wow, you bring something.’ What are you bringing?” he asked pointedly.
Sowunmi, a former spokesman for Atiku during previous campaigns, declared that the presidency of Nigeria is not anyone’s “birthright” and called on Nigerians to reject the generation of politicians who have been on the political scene since the early 1990s.
He emphasized the need for a generational shift in political leadership, especially as the 2027 election approaches.
“Haven’t we tried you before? Haven’t we tested you before?” he queried. “We don’t owe the presidency to anyone. And if we’re returning the presidency to the north in 2027, then find us a younger, sharper, and more agile northerner. We can then say we are done with the 1992 guys.”
In addition to his criticism of Atiku, Sowunmi also took aim at the current state of the opposition coalition, singling out Labour Party’s Peter Obi as the only vibrant force within the alliance. He noted that Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election was instrumental in giving the coalition any relevance at all.
“If Peter Obi had not performed the way he did in the last election, there wouldn’t even be a coalition. He is the only one energising the opposition,” Sowunmi stated.
