A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has described President Bola Tinubu as “smarter” than his political rivals, including Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, Sowunmi defended his recent visit to Tinubu’s residence during the Eid celebration, dismissing claims that he betrayed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate.
“I’m not anti-Tinubu. I own my thoughts, I own my arguments,” said Sowunmi, who served as Atiku’s spokesman during the last election. “By miles, he (Tinubu) is smarter than them. He’s smarter than Peter Obi, smarter than the rest.”
He also rejected accusations of disloyalty to Atiku, noting, “Is he (Atiku) running for president now? He’s running a coalition I’m not part of.”
Sowunmi stated that his decision to meet the president was driven by concern for Nigeria’s democratic trajectory. “It’s not a bad time to have a conversation with the President. I was concerned that democracy was faltering — and not necessarily his fault,” he said.
He cautioned against dismissing all of Tinubu’s policies, noting that “demonising every policy without understanding their future implications is dangerous.”
Defending Tinubu’s competence, Sowunmi said, “His brain is very alert. He answers questions without looking at notes. He is smart — above average.”
Despite the visit, Sowunmi emphasized that he remains a committed PDP member and would not accept any appointment from the APC-led government.
His comments follow a similar turn by another former Atiku spokesman, Daniel Bwala, who was appointed Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Tinubu after defecting from the PDP.
