A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Segun Showunmi, has said the 2027 governorship contest should provide an opportunity for Ogun West Senatorial District to produce the next governor of the state.
Showunmi made this known on Friday at his Abeokuta residence when the leadership of the Action Alliance paid him a visit to formally invite him to contest the 2027 governorship election on the party’s platform.
He said the state must begin to ask itself critical questions ahead of the election, especially whether Ogun West, which he noted had not produced a governor since the creation of the state about 50 years ago, should be given the chance in 2027.
According to him, “The state must decide whether Ogun West Senatorial District, which has not produced a governor since the state was created, should be given the opportunity in 2027.”
Showunmi also cautioned politicians against turning the race into what he described as a campaign of calumny aimed at scoring cheap political points, insisting that the focus should be on development driven agendas.
He said, “The second question we need to go and ask ourselves seriously is what does the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria say concerning eligibility, the right to vote and be voted for.”
Expressing displeasure over what he called uncharitable attempts to question the eligibility of certain aspirants, he added, “My ears are overfull with some of your leaders, politicians and others, who will abandon their own campaign and be screaming, non stop that somebody is not from somewhere.”
He described as misplaced arguments suggesting that an individual already serving as a senator could suddenly be deemed ineligible to contest for governor.
“If we decided to do the DNA test of all of us some of you may even be surprised that the people you are even calling your parents are not your parents.
“How can you say that somebody who has been given the wherewithal to represent in the senatorial district is no longer from your state?
“The eligibility hurdle that says that somebody can be voted for and can present himself for voting has already been crossed out by being the senator representing Ogun West.
“So, I don’t have time for bending issues. If you want to campaign, do your campaign on an agenda that will bolster the development of the state and not on unnecessary frivolities,” he said.
Showunmi disclosed that the Labour Party in the state had also recently adopted him as its governorship candidate, citing his leadership qualities and commitment to the masses.
He further lamented voter apathy across the country, describing it as a major threat to democracy. Referring to last Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory council election, he expressed disappointment that only about 7.1 per cent of registered voters reportedly participated.
“I am told that we have done over 90 million PVC in Nigeria but where are all those PVC on the day of the election?” he queried.
“You will naturally expect that a population that speaks about development, government and politics everywhere should know that participating is the only thing that makes sense.
“We have just had an election in Abuja. I do not quarrel or begrudge those who won, but I am extremely unhappy that about 7.1 per cent came out to participate despite being an enlightened environment.”
He said this concern informed his decision to found The Alternative Movement to raise awareness and encourage greater political participation, stressing that it was unacceptable for a few individuals to determine the fate of over 220 million Nigerians because many citizens chose to abstain from the political process.
Earlier, the Chairman of Action Alliance in Ogun State, Julius Adebola, said the party approached Showunmi because of his stance against bad governance and his capacity to provide forthright leadership, expressing confidence that he would pursue a developmental agenda if given the mandate.
