PDP’s Segun Sowunmi and President Bola Tinubu in Lagos during the 2025 Sallah festivities

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Segun Sowunmi, has dismissed claims that his recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amounts to a betrayal of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Sowunmi, who served as spokesperson for Atiku during the 2023 presidential campaign, said he remains loyal to the PDP but insists that President Tinubu is “smarter than his opponents,” including the Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

Speaking on Politics Today, the PDP chieftain said his visit to Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence during the Eid celebrations was purely for engagement and reflection on the nation’s democratic direction.

“I am at liberty as an adult to take decisions. I am not tied to anybody. I am not anti-Tinubu,” he stated.

Sowunmi noted that Atiku is currently building a coalition he is not part of, stressing that his meeting with Tinubu should not be mistaken for political defection or betrayal.

He said his decision to engage President Tinubu was based on his concerns about the future of Nigeria’s democracy, and he praised Tinubu’s mental capacity.

“His brain is very alert. He’s fit. He answers questions without checking any book. He is above average smart, by miles, smarter than Peter Obi and the rest.”

Sowunmi also defended his choice to praise Tinubu despite being a vocal critic in the past, saying that the president had demonstrated leadership traits that warranted recognition.

“I just felt it was time to see for myself. People say he’s frail, so I went to investigate. I found a president who’s in charge and mentally agile.”

However, he was quick to clarify that while he admires the president’s intellect, he would not accept any appointment under Tinubu while still in the PDP.

His comments come months after another former Atiku spokesman, Daniel Bwala, made headlines for accepting an appointment as Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Tinubu after publicly criticising him during the 2023 elections.