Segun Sowunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, has described Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), as a “Northern kid” following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Baba-Ahmed had described Tinubu as a failure, arguing that although the president inherited a poor country with weak institutions, poverty and insecurity, he had spent three and a half years in office without delivering the expected results.
But Sowunmi, who spoke on Vanguard’s Politics Hub on Wednesday, faulted the PRP chairman’s assessment, questioning his criticism of the president and challenging Northern leaders to reflect on the region’s development.
“That’s a Northern kid. What did I say? He’s a Northern kid. When you behave like a kid, you are a kid,” Sowunmi said.
The PDP chieftain, who said he grew up and attended school in Kaduna, said he remained concerned about the North and its development.
He questioned the outcomes of resources allocated to the region over the years, arguing that its leaders should examine their own responsibilities rather than focus solely on criticising the president.
“All the resources that have been allocated to the North, where is the result?” he asked.
Sowunmi also invoked the legacies of Nigeria’s former leaders from the region, including Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello, questioning whether they would be satisfied with the North’s present condition.
He said leaders should be willing to confront the region’s challenges honestly instead of becoming “so loudmouthed” when criticising people from outside it.
Describing Baba-Ahmed as a rabble-rouser, Sowunmi added that the PRP chairman did not speak for the entire North.
Asked whether he was worried that the criticism came from a Northern elder, Sowunmi said the forthcoming elections would provide a clearer indication of political support.
“They can make their comments. We are going to the polls. Data would tell you that those that are the critical territorial commanders of votes, they know themselves,” he said.
The convener of The Alternative also pointed to the influence of religious leaders and their followers in determining political choices, citing the case of Islamic cleric Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
He questioned whether El-Zakzaky and his followers would necessarily reject Tinubu, referring to the president’s reported provision of a private jet for the cleric to attend the funeral of his leader in Iran.
Sowunmi contrasted this with the treatment El-Zakzaky and his family received from those he accused of harming them, arguing that political support could not be determined solely by the criticism of individual leaders.
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