LAGOS, NG — July 9, 2025 | IDNN Politics Desk
Fiery political commentator and former Ogun State governorship aspirant, Segun Sowunmi, has launched a searing attack on ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring that the 2027 presidency is not a generational entitlement.
Sowunmi has accused Atiku of destabilising Nigeria’s democratic process with his long-standing presidential obsession, which dates back to 1992.
“With your petty politics, you’re destabilising the country,” Sowunmi said. “You’re not even letting those running the government focus.”
He continued:
“We’ve tested you before. We don’t owe you the presidency of Nigeria.”
Sowunmi said that if power must return to the North in 2027, then it must come through younger, sharper, and more agile leadership — not recycled elites.
Opposition Needs New Energy
Sowunmi challenged the opposition coalition to look inward and reimagine its strategy, stating that only Peter Obi had inspired enough public engagement in 2023 to justify his seat at the coalition table.
“If not for Peter Obi’s performance, there wouldn’t even be a coalition,” he said, accusing other political actors of clinging to power without fresh ideas.
He added that the Labour Party’s rising influence was powered more by Nigeria’s yearning for new faces than any individual’s past credentials.
“No More 1992 Politicians”
Taking a dig at the political class, Sowunmi warned that bringing back veteran contestants like Atiku would only ensure defeat in 2027.
“We’ve had enough of these 1992 guys. If we’re serious about change, we need a break from that generation,” he said.
Sowunmi called for the selection of a new northern candidate capable of galvanizing national support — preferably one not tied to the country’s political failures of the past 30 years.
“If we’re going North in 2027, let’s go with someone the North actually believes in. But don’t bring back anyone who has already lost this battle multiple times.”
“This Is Not Personal — It’s Strategic”
He made it clear that his criticism of Atiku was not personal but grounded in a strategy to defeat the incumbent President Bola Tinubu.
“If you field another southerner against Tinubu, he’ll win. But if a credible northern candidate emerges, the dynamics change.”
Sowunmi concluded by warning that continuing to recycle the same elite figures — no matter how experienced — would only entrench the status quo.
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