Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), and Former Presidential Spokesperson, (2019), Segun Sowunmi, has urged the PDP to focus on internal rebuilding or risk collapse, while also noting that legal victories do not guarantee political legitimacy.
Sowunmi said this in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, following a recent Court of Appeal ruling that consolidated judgment on nine cases arising from a leadership crisis within the PDP.
“No court can confer legitimacy; it can only explain the law. If those who win in court believe that legal victory makes them ‘right’ in a political sense, they are delusional. Those who lost must be respected for their human quality, and the party must go back to the drawing board,” he warned.
Sowunmi attributed the PDP’s current crisis to internal failures, particularly ignoring zoning tenets.
“Precisely. If you don’t do the right thing internally, the court can’t enforce legitimacy for you. We are in trouble; there is a crisis of confidence,” he stated.
Addressing the governors who have defected, Segun Sowunmi noted that while their departures are concerning, they are understandable.
“It’s difficult to blame them for three reasons. First, many Nigerians believe in the ‘pendulum’ principle—that power stays in the North for eight years and then moves to the South for eight. Second, politicians fear unending litigation that can end their careers. Third, the PDP was never meant to be a party where one man sits at a high table and barks orders at others who may be his intellectual superiors.”
He warned that unless the PDP corrects these internal issues, more members may leave, further weakening the party.
“If the PDP doesn’t act right, parties like the ADC will take over the role of the opposition. We are watching a party that has existed since 1998 bleed to death,” he warned.
Commenting on Nyesom Wike’s call for a National Convention, Sowunmi cautioned that holding it without proper consultation and adherence to zoning rules risks deepening divisions.
“You cannot invite a sane person to a pre-arranged, pre-decided charade. In the PDP, we usually know the zones and have conversations first. If this is just a ‘joke’ played on the field, it is a disaster waiting to happen.
He added that without key leaders like Seyi Makinde, the convention would show disunity and weaken the party’s electoral prospects.
“If Seyi Makinde does not step foot in there, I will not go. You need a ‘poster boy’ in every zone to market a party. In the Southwest, Seyi Makinde is the only poster boy we have based on his developmental performance in Oyo State. If he isn’t there, what am I going to use to market the party?” he questioned.
Speaking on the failures of opposition parties, Sowunmi urged a shift from personality-driven leadership to a collegiate system.
“We have created a culture where the President or Governor is seen as the ‘leader’ of the party, even though they were begging for tickets months earlier. Leadership must become a collegiate system that insists on a specific culture and ideology, rather than creating parties in the image of one man who only has an eight-year maximum.”
He also warned that lingering divisions could have serious consequences at the polls.
“We are dealing with a ruling party made of seasoned politicians; if we don’t unify, there will be consequences on election day,” he stressed.
Speaking on the government’s response to economic emergency and fuel prices, Sowunmi stressed that rising crude prices impact petrol.
“If the price of crude increases, the price of petrol will too. The President must realize that no one has guaranteed him the next election. The pathway to defeat him is transparent.”
Favour Odima
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