Segun Sowunmi, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Ogun State governorship candidate, has declared that President Bola Tinubu is the main issue plaguing the PDP. Sowunmi made the assertion on Wednesday during an appearance on Politics Today aired on Channels Television.
In a fiery critique, Sowunmi accused Tinubu of interfering in PDP affairs by appointing former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) without consulting the party’s leadership.
“He has no business appointing our member into his cabinet without talking to us,” Sowunmi stated. “He had no business taking Nyesom Wike from our party and appointing him.”
The PDP, which has been battling internal turmoil over leadership and unity, has yet to elect a new National Chairman to steer the party’s affairs. Sowunmi argued that Tinubu’s actions complicate efforts to reposition the party, particularly as Wike holds a ministerial position under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while remaining a PDP member.
Recalling former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s approach to forming a government of national unity, Sowunmi said Tinubu should have consulted PDP elders if he wanted the party to thrive. “If Tinubu wanted the PDP to be okay, he would return Wike to us,” he asserted.
Despite the challenges, Sowunmi remains optimistic about the PDP’s future. He rejected claims that the party is dead or dying, describing its struggles as part of its democratic evolution.
“We are not dead or sick; we are managing complications, including Wike’s dual position,” he said. “But I take very strong objections to anyone declaring that the PDP is dead.”
The PDP’s internal crisis, compounded by Wike’s controversial ministerial appointment, continues to fuel debates about the party’s direction and survival as Nigeria’s leading opposition.
