Segun Sowunmi, a former spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has denied rumors that he intends to switch to the All Progressives Congress.
The clarification was provided by Sowunmi, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday.
In response to speculation that his June 8 visit and meeting with President Bola Tinubu at his Lagos home marked a change in political affiliation, Sowunmi reaffirmed his commitment to his party.
“I would have decamped to the APC if I had wanted to, but not just now. “I still belong to the PDP,” he declared.
Some Nigerians mistook Sowunmi’s handshake with Tinubu, whom he has known since 1994, for an indication of defection, he said.
After that handshake with the president, many people believed I was switching sides, so it was actually a little confusing. Nigerians have a sense of humor. Since 1998, I have been present at this celebration.
“You think I’m just going to leave my party after I’ve seen the president for decades and had one handshake and one visit? “No, that’s not how it works,” he answered.
After nearly three decades of Nigeria’s democratic journey, the politician, who was born in Ogun and ran for governor in the 2023 PDP primary, stated that the emphasis should move from party rivalry to forging consensus on national development.
I’ve been actively involved in democracy for roughly 27 years, but after that, you start to wonder if it’s still functioning. Why are people not happy? Could we please just start agreeing on a few things, despite all the criticism? If not, they ought to start abandoning us,” he remarked.
Sowunmi revealed that the four main topics of his conversation with the president were political developments in Rivers State, economic difficulties brought on by recent government initiatives, and insecurity in the North.
“I was worried about Rivers, and he gave me some logical explanations. He had something to say about the insecurity in the North, which worried me because people were simply dying. I informed him that while I could understand where he was headed with the policies, I was concerned about the impact on the populace,” he continued.
According to prior reports, Sowunmi had stated that he would join the APC instead of the PDP before endorsing Tinubu.
In an interview with Arise Television’s Prime Time on June 10, Sowunmi stated that he could perhaps leave the PDP.
Many people in political circles and on social media reacted negatively to Sowunmi’s meeting with Tinubu, believing it to be a sign that he was about to leave the PDP.
Following the ruling APC’s consolidation of power following the national elections in 2023, defections had changed oppositional affiliations at the time of the conference.
