Otunba Segun Showunmi, Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, has criticized former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's proposal to restore petrol subsidy, saying it would amount to taking Nigeria "back to Egypt." Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has said he would restore petrol subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians should benefit from the country's resources and that the removal of the subsidy has worsened living conditions.
Showunmi rejected the proposal and defended the administration's economic direction during a sensitisation and mobilisation programme in support of President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid in Abeokuta. He questioned the effectiveness of subsidies, citing that Nigeria has tried them since 1973 with little success. "We have seen that nothing has worked. They couldn't even repair a refinery for so many years. And one private sector person has run a refinery," he said.
Showunmi described proponents of the subsidy return as "overtly and inordinately ambitious," saying Nigeria will never return back to Egypt. "Forward ever, backward never," he said. He emphasized that he has spent the past year defending what he described as the economic policies and direction of the Tinubu administration. According to him, government revenues have improved across the three tiers of government.
Showunmi argued for continuity in governance, saying governments need sufficient time to implement long-term economic policies. "We cannot be changing leadership every four years. Democracy is very difficult, and the ability to be able to even run policy requires a bit of time," he said. He emphasized the importance of allowing the current administration to implement its policies without frequent changes in leadership.
Showunmi has begun mobilising grassroots supporters ahead of the 2027 election, including at polling-unit level. "I've empowered them, I've told them to enter the polling unit and start the polling unit work," he said. He said the mobilisation would subsequently extend to the local government areas in Ogun Central. Showunmi described himself as a grassroots politician, contrasting himself with social media and television politicians.
On the growing opposition to Tinubu from politicians in the South, Showunmi expressed confidence in the President's popularity. "You will never see the moon and the star come out when the sun is out. Anybody, especially from Yoruba nation, who is calling himself anything, when the sun is out, is wasting the time," he said. He further said those aspiring to challenge Tinubu are "wasting their resources."
Showunmi's mobilisation programme aims to galvanize support for Tinubu's re-election bid. With his grassroots approach, he is confident of securing votes at the polling unit level. As the 2027 election approaches, Showunmi's stance on subsidy and governance continuity is likely to influence the national conversation on economic policy and leadership succession.
Key points
- Otunba Segun Showunmi criticizes Atiku Abubakar's proposal to restore petrol subsidy.
- Showunmi defends the Tinubu administration's economic direction and argues for governance continuity.
- Showunmi begins mobilisation programme to support Tinubu's re-election bid.
