Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been urged to take a break from politics and allow younger contestants with fresh ideas to lead, ahead of the National Convention of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) to pick a presidential candidate. This advice came from Segun Showunmi, former spokesperson to Atiku and convener of the Alternative Platform, during a live television programme on Arise Television on Thursday evening.
Showunmi Calls for Fresh Leadership
Showunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that Nigerians must focus on competence and policy depth when selecting presidential candidates, rather than allowing national conversations to be consumed by political theatrics and personality contests. He acknowledged Atiku's significant role in Nigeria's democratic history since 1999 but suggested that the country may now require a different kind of leadership energy to confront its present challenges due to fatigue.
Hayatu-Deen as Strongest Opposition Candidate
Showunmi described Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, foremost economist and former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, as the strongest opposition candidate currently in the race for Nigeria's presidency under the ADC platform. According to Showunmi, Hayatu-Deen possesses the economic competence, technocratic depth, and private sector experience necessary to address Nigeria's worsening economic crisis and reposition the country for sustainable growth. He stated, "That is the guy that has the best CV. He is a breath of fresh air. I think that he is quite brave to look at the political space and offer up his experience to serve."
Assessment of Other Candidates
Speaking on Rotimi Amaechi, Showunmi said: "I think Rotimi is running on entitlement and ambition. He must have convinced himself that just because he came second in the last presidential primaries of the APC, maybe one more try may make sense. I have tried very hard to listen to him say some big things that can excite me, but I have not heard them. That does not mean he cannot, but right now, he does not move me."
Regarding Peter Obi, Showunmi acknowledged the former governor's political energy and support base but suggested that broader national consensus and coalition-building would remain critical to any successful presidential bid. He noted, "I think that for Peter, there is energy there. Any fair-minded person knows that he has to be fair for his own bloc to be able to lead here."
