A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has defended former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s right to pursue his presidential ambition. Sowunmi asserts that Atiku’s decision to run is a personal one, protected by the Nigerian Constitution.
Despite Atiku’s previous losses in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, Sowunmi believes that he has the constitutional right to contest again. At 78, some critics have called for Atiku to step aside for younger candidates, but Sowunmi argues that this is a matter of personal choice.
In an interview with Vanguard, Sowunmi laments that Nigerians often spend too much time criticizing Atiku instead of developing strategies to win elections. He emphasizes that Atiku cannot be bullied into surrendering his ambition and that the more pressure he faces, the more resolute he becomes.
Sowunmi’s stance highlights the importance of respecting individuals’ constitutional rights and allowing them to make their own decisions about contesting for public office. By defending Atiku’s right to run, Sowunmi underscores the need for Nigerians to focus on more pressing issues, such as winning elections.
Sowunmi said, “The first thing people must understand is that a lot of suggestions, persuasion, argument, pressure, and bullies come into play in politics, but whether any human being will contest any election is purely the rights granted to them by the constitution and according to the platforms of the party.
“So what I find a little bit curious is that instead of people to talk about how they win the or even how they’re going to win the general election they have devoted too much time into trying to bully a man that cannot be bullied. I know very well if anybody tries to bully him, you basically does only to make him more resolute in his position.
“What law would you use to prevent somebody from contesting an election when we have even created laws to say anybody who wants to contest is free to contest
“He has contested primary tickets in parties before that he didn’t win, and he has also contested primary tickets in parties that he has won. He contested in 1992, he didn’t get the ticket at that time in SDP.
“In 2007, he won under he won the ticket under AC, or ACN I can’t remember. In 2011, he tried to do it under the PDP, he didn’t really get the ticket.
“In 2015, he contested under the APC, he didn’t get the ticket. So, what I’m trying to say in essence is that, don’t let us put too much energy on depriving people of their rights.”