“He’s Fit, Alert, and Smart”: Sowunmi Endorses Tinubu’s Intelligence and Direction

Segun Sowunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former spokesperson to Atiku Abubakar, has declared he is open to working with President Bola Tinubu, praising his intellect and leadership style.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sowunmi shared insights from his recent visit to Tinubu at his Lagos residence. Despite being a longtime PDP loyalist, he said his meeting with the president was driven by a desire to assess the man at the helm directly.

“It is not a bad time to have a conversation with the president. I decided to engage him since people talk about his frailty. So, I jumped on that investigation,” Sowunmi said.

Impressed by the interaction, he lauded Tinubu’s mental acuity and adaptive leadership: “I have always said he’s smarter than his mates. His brain is very alert, he is fit. You know when you are asking someone questions and he answers without looking at the book.”

According to Sowunmi, Tinubu’s willingness to engage critics sets him apart. “The privilege to engage with the number one citizen in office, even when I’m not in his party and I critique him, makes him superior to the others.”

Comparing Tinubu with other political figures, he added: “I’ve been in this party forever. The only time we go to them is after they’ve lost and we need to shore them up. Do you know the difference between Bola and them? He doesn’t have one approach to dealing with everybody.”

Sowunmi, critical of opposition voices that reject policy initiatives without deep understanding, said: “I just believe that there comes a time in the life of a nation where you must try to be sure whether the direction a leader is going is the right direction or at least whether it is the intended direction and I guarantee you, he is smart — above average.”

“There has never been a doubt that I can work with him. If I’m going to work with the president, I am going to leave the PDP,” he stated.

He also distanced himself from Atiku Abubakar’s current political coalition, saying, “Abubakar is running a coalition which everyone knows I’m not part of.”