"You Can’t Bully Atiku" – PDP’s Segun Sowunmi Fires Back at Critics

 

A top figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has strongly defended former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s right to run for president again, brushing off public criticism over how many times Atiku has contested in the past.

Atiku has tried to become Nigeria’s president six times and was defeated in the last two elections—2019 and 2023—by candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC). As 2027 draws closer, his name is once again making headlines.

But according to Sowunmi, all the noise about Atiku’s repeated attempts is misplaced. He reminded Nigerians that the constitution gives every qualified citizen the right to contest for any political office, no matter how many times they've tried before.

Sowunmi said:

“What I find a little bit curious is that instead of people to talk about how they win 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 do only to make him more resolute in his position.”

He made it clear that political contests are both personal and constitutional, and anyone trying to pressure Atiku into backing out is simply wasting their time.

Sowunmi also emphasized that political parties can decide where to zone their presidential tickets, but that doesn’t stop Atiku from running. There’s no law in Nigeria that says a person can't contest again just because they’ve lost before.

He highlighted Atiku’s political journey, from his first presidential bid in 1992 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to his latest under the PDP, saying all those campaigns were part of a healthy democratic process.

In his final words, Sowunmi urged Nigerians to stop worrying about who is contesting and instead focus on winning elections.