By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.
The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has warned that any attempt to shift political power back to the North in 2027 could destabilise the country’s delicate balance, even as he appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explore a political solution in the case of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Showunmi issued the caution on Monday in Abeokuta during the “Guest Forum” organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council.
He argued that Nigeria’s stability rests on an unwritten but widely accepted power rotation system. According to him, since the northern region held the presidency for eight years under former President Muhammadu Buhari, equity demands that the South retain the position in the current political cycle.
While expressing admiration for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Showunmi said the 2027 political season does not favour another northern presidency, warning that any such move could trigger tension between southern and Middle Belt groups.
“But if he (Atiku) understands seasons and time, he would know that a country formed from the Northern and Southern Protectorates must run on a pendulum,” he said. “When it swung to the North, Buhari did his eight years; now it has swung to the South. You can quarrel among yourselves in the South, but the presidency must remain there. Otherwise, the South and Middle Belt may feel locked out.”
Turning to national security, Showunmi urged President Tinubu to consider a political solution for Nnamdi Kanu, who was recently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism charges. Kanu has since been transferred to a correctional facility in Sokoto pending appeal.
According to him, continued incarceration only fuels extremism in the South-East and undermines the healing Nigeria desperately needs.
“A greater good of the country is served if he is released than keeping him behind bars,” he said. “The civil war is long over. No nation builds peace by keeping a large section of its people angry. We must look for a political solution to Kanu’s case.”
Showunmi insisted that the judgment itself should not be interpreted as politically motivated, noting that only an appellate court can determine whether justice was miscarried.
Speaking on the Alternative Movement, he clarified that the initiative is not a political party but a civic platform aimed at deepening political participation among Nigeriansespecially young people who, he said, must be more involved if democracy is to be strengthened.
Earlier, Acting Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Peter Moses, said the “Guest Forum” was created to facilitate robust public engagement with policymakers and influential voices on issues that shape society, adding that journalists have a duty beyond reporting to nurture democratic conversations.
