Ahead of the 2027 general election, President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s ex-spokesman, Segun Showunmi, have met to discuss national matters and possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the poll.
Showunmi, who was the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, and Tinubu were said to have spent several minutes together discussing possible solutions to national matters and how to get a befitting welcome into the ruling party particularly in his hometown.
They were said to have met inside the private home of the President in Ikoyi, Lagos State, on Sunday after the president met with the members of the Governor Advisory Council (GAC), including the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, and others.
Confirming the meeting, Atiku’s former aide released a picture of his engagement with the President, describing the meeting as engaging and nostalgic.
According to him, Sallah Day 3!, I spent quality time with the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. It was engaging and nostalgic”.
The development has meanwhile attracted criticism from former Presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who described Showunmi as double speak, saying he doesn’t act what he preaches.
He added that Sowunmi is one of the opposition members that criticize the ruling party publicly and dine with them at night.
“I have observed that Segun Showunmi’s behavior is characterized by double speak. Following the 2023 Presidential election, he reached out to me, expressing dissatisfaction with the nation’s path and proposing a unified front against the ruling elite, particularly Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s regime.
“I reminded him of our time at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), highlighting my freshman year exploits with him and noting his self-serving demagoguery. We shared residence at Henry Carr Hall, close to the university gate at Akoka. While Segun Showunmi demonstrated exceptional ability in mobilizing students through his rhetoric, he consistently avoided leadership responsibilities during student actions, always providing excuses. In this context, I inquired whether he would maintain his resolve when facing off against Tinubu regime as he had suggested; to date, he has not provided a response.
“Not surprised to see him in this photo-ops with Tinubu in Lagos these are the “opposition figures” in coalition talks”.
