Ogun 2027: Segun Showunmi Mulls Joining Labour Party, Says “I’m More Eminently Qualified”

ABEOKUTA- The Convener of the Alternative Movement and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Showunmi, has expressed readiness to consider running for governor of Ogun State under the Labour Party banner in 2027.

Showunmi dislcosed this on Friday when the State Executive of Labour Party led by the party chairman, Hon. Oluwabukola Soyoye paid him a courtesy visit at his Ibara GRA residence in Abeokuta.

The LP Chairman had wooed the erstwhile spokesperson to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to join the party for his 2027 governorship aspiration in Ogun state.

According to Hon. Soyoye, there is a need for a new era of governance in Ogun state, pointing out that Segun Showunmi fit into the political ideology of the Labour Party.

She stressed further that the current APC administration in the state had mismanaged the state resources and misplaced its potential as the economic hub of the country.

Responding, Otunba Segun Showunmi praised Labour Party’s ideological stability and commended former presidential candidate Peter Obi for galvanizing the party’s growing popularity.

Showunmi noted that Labour Party’s significant performance in the last presidential election, securing over 6 million votes, a close margin to the ruling party’s 8million votes, underscores the party’s organic management of politics and urged members to recognize their growing influence.

He expressed his commitment to improving Ogun State, leveraging its growth potential and addressing pressing issues.

He thanked Labour Party for the opportunity to contest the governorship and pledged to consider the offer seriously.

He emphasized his own qualifications for the role, citing his experience and intentional approach to governance.

He acknowledged Ogun State’s current challenges, particularly poor road infrastructure, but highlighted the incumbent governor’s achievements in road construction.

The Alternative Movement promoter, who said no nation can thrive in democracy without opposition, said he had been extremely stable and completely committed and unapologetic PDP member since 1998.

“Labour Party is the only political party in Nigeria whose ideological position is unambiguous. The ideological position of Labour Party in London is the same as the ideological position of the Workers Party in China. Is the same ideological position of the Workers Party in Brazil and ought to be the same as the ideological position of the Labour Party in Nigeria.

“For me, that represents some ideological stability. The second reason I pay very great and significant obeyance to His Excellency, Peter Obi, who was your last presidential candidate, for by his effort in the race, he succeeded in giving all of us in Nigeria the hope that Labour Party with the backing of Nigerians who want better governance, can do magic

“So, in the country today, you have a significant six point something million votes that is curated under his leadership for your party, the ones who are in the presidency could only manage eight point something million.

“So when you look at the total number of votes Labour Party was able to gather in the last election, you have to know that you people cannot be ignored, cannot be taken for a ride because you are a political party that has demonstrated organic management of politics.

“You have asked me to come and contest the governorship of Ogun under your platform. I don’t even know how to begin to thank you for this honour. By the grace of Almighty God, I will consider your request seriously.

“The governorship eligibility for 2027, with every sense of due respect, I have looked at the horizon, from the toughest to the least, I can’t find anybody who is more eminently qualified, more prepared, more intentional of policy of governance than me among them all.

“I have done only one thing, which is to wish, to work, to pray, to agonize that this Nigerian nation be a great nation that we can pass on to the next generation. I have not spared of myself, neither have I spared of the little resources that has come in my hand just to push it and keep pushing it.

“I concede that there are critical challenging issues about the current governor approach to governance. One of them, is that it is a major source of embarrassment that Ogun state, our beloved state, is now the signpost of bad roads all over until people just break down in Angry rhetorics when they come to our state. But it does not mean he hasn’t done some roads. I tell you truthfully, he has done more kilometers of road than the previous ones.

“The challenges he did not fully commit himself to a deep understanding that Ogun state is a state that has growth poles everywhere.”