Atiku’s former campaign spokesperson joins Ogun governorship race

A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, Segun Showunmi, on Wednesday, declared intention to contest for the Ogun State governorship seat in 2023 under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Showunmi made the declaration in Abeokuta, blaming the inability of the PDP to win the governorship seat in the past elections to the infighting within the party.

The aspirant, who served as Deputy Press Secretary to former governor Gbenga Daniel, called on the PDP leadership to do away with the power tussle affecting the party.

“All our (PDP) efforts has not produced any result for some time and the main reason is the unnecessary infighting,” he said.

“All you have said concerning Segun Showunmi to come and run for Governor, I have heard and I heard clearly. I will definitely, most definitely and extremely definitely run for the Governorship of Ogun State in 2023.

“I have spent the last 20 years or more in this political dispensation serving them, speaking for them, improving them, running for them and I have now realised that I’m the leader I have been searching for and I tell you again with every sense of responsibility that you have never seen governance at the level I intend to do it,” Mr Showunmi said.

“The business of governance of cutting tape because of road is not what we are talking about here. Obafemi Awolowo’s vision for Yoruba nation has now come to be, improved, rewritten and expanded.”

In his remarks, Samson Ogunsanya, chairman of Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), said if the PDP must make any appreciable impact in Ogun State, Mr Showunmi should be adopted as the governorship candidate of the party.

He described the aspirant as a selfless politician with the capacity to “deliver Ogun State from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

‘As the umbrella body of the opposition parties in Ogun State, we are here to show our support for our brother, Segun Showunmi. Showunmi is a politician with an enviable track record.

“We believe that he has the capacity to deliver Ogun State from backwardness the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has put the State in. We believe that with Sowunmi in the helms of affairs, Ogun State will witness tremendous progress, therefore, we urge all of you here to support him.”

The National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, in his own contributions, advised the national leadership of the PDP, Governor Seyi Makinde, and other stakeholders of the party to align with the governorship ambition of Mr Showunmi.

“We the opposition political parties members want to advise His Excellency Gov Seyi Makinde who is the leader of this party in South-West and the National Chairman of PDP, Senator Iyiocha Ayu, that they must look into the direction of this young man, Segun Showunmi, who took the audacious step to rescue the party from the hands of those who had stifled its growth for too long.

“The era of recycled political racketeers, who are strictly merchants without commitment and conscience for the Governed must be collectively brought to a final stop through a positive change in the Ogun PDP.

“Segun Showunmi is set to become the vehicle to bring to an end the usual and unending politics of deceit and insincerity of the old status quo promulgated by the Iperu Political war lord and they all must now henceforth work together and defeat the fully dishonest political merchants,” Mr Arabambi said.