- PDP chieftain Segun Sowunmi dismissed arguments that a single presidential term was sufficient to solve Nigeria’s complex governance challenges
- He stated during a TVC interview that such claims were unrealistic and accused some politicians of making misleading campaign promises
- Sowunmi referenced Nigeria’s political history, including the transition from Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to Goodluck Jonathan, to support his position
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has dismissed the growing argument that a single presidential term is sufficient to address Nigeria’s complex challenges.
Sowunmi made the remarks during an interview on TVC on Thursday, as political discussions intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with some aspirants pledging to resolve Nigeria’s problems within four years if elected.
According to him, such claims are unrealistic and misleading, arguing that the scale of Nigeria’s socio-economic and governance challenges requires more time and sustained policy implementation than a single term can provide.
“Anyone who says one term is okay for them to take care of all the challenges bedevilling us as a nation is either a liar or a fraud,” Sowunmi said.
He criticised what he described as political rhetoric that simplifies governance challenges without providing clear implementation plans, insisting that many politicians fail to explain how they intend to achieve such ambitious promises within a limited time frame.
“They boast about how easy it is to do a very difficult job, but they won’t tell you how they are going to do it,” he added.
Sowunmi referenced Nigeria’s political history to support his argument, pointing to the transition between former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. He noted that Jonathan completed Yar’Adua’s tenure before serving his own full term between 2011 and 2015.
According to him, the political struggles surrounding Jonathan’s second-term ambition illustrated the difficulty of sustaining governance reforms and political continuity in Nigeria.
“The one that could have made it for us to believe that it’s possible was Goodluck Jonathan, who took over power from Umaru Yar’Adua. He completed that tenure and finished his legitimate own from 2011 to 2015. How easy was it for us to get him to do that extra one?” he asked.
Sowunmi argued that the intense political battles that followed Jonathan’s bid for a second term contributed to deep divisions within one of Nigeria’s major political parties, consequences he said are still being felt today.
“Just trying to force him, and on the strength of him trying to complete two terms, was the reason that destroyed one of the major parties that has not recovered till today,” he stated.