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• Nigeria must create space for leaders like Adebayo
By Sunday Ani
As debates over Nigeria’s political future intensify, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has weighed in on issues ranging from party loyalty and national development to generational leadership and presidential ambition.
In this interview, he clears the air about his continued membership of the PDP, his civic platform.
You are still in the PDP, you run the Alternative platform, yet you openly acknowledge and praise some of the policies of the current Tinubu government. There are insinuations that you are either confused or you are using the platform as a bargaining chip. Are you still in the PDP?
It is unfortunate what is happening within the PDP, but political parties go through phases. For those of us who remain, we must be realistic and responsible.
Acknowledging good policies is not the same as defecting or endorsing a government wholesale. If the government embarks on projects like the coastal road or the Sokoto–Badagry Road, should we pretend not to see their long-term implications? Such infrastructure benefits future generations.
If local government autonomy is strengthened, if conversations about state police become serious, if subsidy removal blocks leakages and ensures fuel availability, should we not objectively assess those policies? Politics should not blind us to national interest.
I am not confused. I believe in constructive engagement, criticising when necessary and acknowledging progress when it occurs. Democracy must move beyond mere change of faces every four years; it must produce real development.
I created ‘The Alternative’ so we can begin to think differently. We cannot keep saying everything is bad and offer no hope. Let us look for the best among us, not only for the presidency, but for councillors, legislators, governors and all positions of responsibility.
Some allege that the Alternative was created as a bargaining chip. Is that correct?
The Alternative is not a bargaining chip; it is a reorientation platform. It is meant to encourage Nigerians to participate actively in politics and to vote responsibly.
If you do not vote, you have voted against all of us. I want citizens to scrutinise candidates carefully and stop recycling the same political actors without accountability.
Criticise your leaders, yes but do not hate your country. We must stop waking up daily to curse Nigeria. The platform is about hope, responsibility and ensuring that the best among us lead the rest of us.
With many heavyweights leaving the PDP, why are you still in the party?
Democracy requires viable alternatives. Democracy suffers when opposition collapses into one dominant party. Defections do not erase grassroots support. The PDP still has structure and roots. Political power is not eternal; those ruling today will not rule forever. Our duty is to articulate alternatives, criticise where necessary, praise where appropriate and build consensus for national progress.
You were close to Atiku Abubakar, but he has moved on politically. Have you parted ways?
I supported and campaigned for him, but I am not someone who moves from party to party. Stability matters to me. Politics should also respect principles like rotation and generational renewal. In a diverse country like Nigeria, leadership cannot always revolve around one individual’s ambition.
What would you say about your friend, Prince Adewale Adebayo’s presidential ambition?
People like Adebayo fit into the category of giving younger leaders a chance. He represents a new generation that is intellectually prepared and ideologically driven.
However, Nigeria is a multi-religious and multicultural country. Issues such as rotation and regional balance must always be considered. We must be sensitive to those realities.
Does Adebayo stand a chance at all?
Electoral success depends on party structure, national spread and political organisation. Running on a smaller platform presents challenges.
But the larger issue is this: Nigeria must create room for credible alternatives. Prepared minds should not be ignored. If Nigerians truly want renewal, they must be willing to support capable new-generation leaders when they emerge.
