The PDP stalwart claimed that Saraki’s election will result in yet another party chairman from the North Central geopolitical zone, which he considered was unjust to the South-West region.
Segun Sowunmi, a PDP loyalist, asserts that if he faces former Senate President Bukola Saraki in a head-to-head contest for the position of Peoples Democratic Party national chairman, “I’ll beat him.”
On Wednesday, Sowunmi made the claim while making a live appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television.
The former Ogun State governorship candidate responded, “I’ll beat him,” when asked how he would fare against Saraki, who like him has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the top PDP office. I’ll question him about his actions in 2014–2015, when they undermined the party. I’m confident that I’ll defeat him.
Sowunmi asserted that Saraki’s rise would amount to another party chairman from the North Central geographical zone, which he considered was unjust to the South-West region. Saraki is a native of Kwara State.
Solomon Lar (1998–1999), Barnabas Gemade (1999–2001), Audu Ogbeh (2001–2005), Ahmadu Ali (2005–2008), Vincent Ogbulafor (2008–2010), Okwesileze Nwodo (2010), and Haliru Mohammed (2010) are some of the former PDP chairmen.
The others are Uche Secondus (2017–2021), Lyorchia Ayu (2021–2023), Bamanga Tukur (2012–2014), Adamu Mu’azu (2014–2015), Ali Modu Sheriff (2015–2016), Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi (2015–2016), and Kawu Baraje (2011–2014).
After Ayu was fired in March, Umar Damagum assumed the position of PDP National Chairman in an acting capacity.
The South-West can say North Central, he said, “No, we don’t agree,” if they believe they have an unalienable right to serve as chairman at all times.
We want the party chairman to be in the South-West, and if young people want me to be there, then we’ll meet ourselves in the field since some of us have worked much more than you guys have.
Sowunmi claimed that his stance, according to which stability comes before all else, hasn’t changed.
When faced with a situation like the one we are currently facing, he continued, “we must be very measured, we must be very careful, and we must avoid running into that consistent argument of thinking that our issue is removing the person in charge.”
The same chat with Ali Modu Sheriff was followed by encounters with Makarfi, Secondus, and Ayu. We’re currently with Damagun. We cannot continue to claim that no one is qualified to lead us as a political party.
When asked if Atiku Abubakar, the party’s nominee for president in 2023, supported him, the PDP stalwart argued that Atiku was not the type of person who likes to create chaos.
“Young people are just gyrating,” he continued, “and my name is coming up.”
