He’s a Northern kid — Sowunmi slams Baba-Ahmed for calling Tinubu ‘a failure’
Sowunmi Criticizes Baba-Ahmed for Critique of Tinubu Administration
By Bayo Wahab
Segun Sowunmi, a member of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council and a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has responded sharply to Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), following Baba-Ahmed’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Baba-Ahmed recently labeled Tinubu a failure, citing the nation’s poverty and insecurity as persisting issues that have not improved despite the president’s three and a half years in office. He argued that Tinubu inherited significant challenges but has failed to deliver substantive results.
In a discussion on Vanguard’s Politics Hub on Wednesday, Sowunmi challenged Baba-Ahmed’s assertions, labeling him a “Northern kid” and questioning his credentials to critique the president. Sowunmi urged leaders from Northern Nigeria to reflect on the region’s development, expressing concern over the allocation and utilization of resources meant for the North.
“All the resources that have been allocated to the North, where is the result?” Sowunmi asked. He highlighted the legacies of historical leaders from the region, such as Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello, and pondered whether they would be satisfied with the current state of Northern Nigeria.
Sowunmi criticized what he deemed the tendency to vocally criticize leaders outside the region without addressing internal challenges. He described Baba-Ahmed as a “rabble-rousing little rat,” asserting that he does not represent the views of the entire Northern populace.
When asked if he was concerned about the critique coming from a Northern elder, Sowunmi indicated that the upcoming elections would be a more reliable measure of political sentiment in the region. “They can make their comments. We are going to the polls. Data would tell you that those that are the critical territorial commanders of votes, they know themselves,” he said.
Sowunmi also acknowledged the potential influence of religious leaders in shaping political choices, referencing Islamic cleric Ibrahim El-Zakzaky. He questioned whether El-Zakzaky and his followers would outright reject Tinubu, noting the president’s provision of a private jet for the cleric to attend a funeral in Iran.
He argued that political support should not be gauged solely on the words of individual leaders but rather on the broader context of community relationships and influences.
