PDP chief laments treatment of northern APC members, leaders by Tinubu

A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to desist from antagonising All Progressives Congress leaders from the North who helped him emerge president in the 2023 election.

Showunmi said this on Monday in a statement he personally signed.

He also inked the raging political travails of former governors of Kaduna and Kogi states, Nasir El-Rufai and Yahaya Bello respectively, to President Tinubu

He pointed out that Tinubu’s poor treatment of these leaders would break a long-term understanding between Yorubas and the north who supported him especially against their brothers, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the 2023 election.

The PDP chieftain further cautioned Tinubu that the continued attack against the northern APC, who worked for his election in 2023, would affect his 2027 ambition.

Showunmi said, “Upon reflection on the trajectory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his journey to the presidency, I find my mind wondering if my Yoruba Uncle is still the same person that I have always known and admired.

“You might need to think through this to understand me.  The Yoruba already carry misconceptions about betrayal, that we don’t keep our end of the bargain. That we use and dump people. That we are cunning around the power play.

“Except Olusegun Obasanjo who as both in and outside power as military and civilian head of state kept his side of the agreement with his partners who got him into power.”

Showunmi, who lamented that the president’s action reflects an mindfulness of the consequences, said “Nasir El-Rufai, say what you will about him, he supported Asiwaju fully during the primaries and the general elections. Pray how has he been treated? Same El-Rufai now has a security report that humiliated him during a Senate clearance made up of a majority of Tinubu men! What would the world call that but betrayal?

“Now Yahaya Adoza Bello who practically fought like a madman to give Asiwaju good numbers in Kogi not to talk of how he funded and ran the youth campaign with vigour and energy to the extent that I was so jealous compared to the disorganised charade of my PDP.

“Same Yahaya Bello who superintend over the membership registration of APC that to date I cannot but remember comparing the bliss and pageantry to the joke that my PDP ran under the Edo emperor.

“Pray is that the same GYB that is embarrassed to the level we are all witnessing? If this is not a betrayal, I would like someone to tell me what can be a betrayal more than this.”

The PDP chieftain said everyone who worked hard with Tinubu to emerge president are now being minimised by those around the president who are using the state agencies.

He noted that the president had allowed “PDP people to stroll about” while the ones who worked to give him power are “running helter-skelter.”

He said, “The issues from the Awolowo era have not been resolved with other tribes, especially the Igbos who till date see Yoruba in a bad light but for the efforts of men like Obasanjo, Pa Adebanjo and to a lesser extent myself who have demanded that fair is fair.

“Will you now break a long-term understanding between Yorubas and the north because you are now acting like you won’t respect people who supported you to the max, especially against their bothers Atiku and Kwankwaso.”

Stressing Tinubu could not be allowed to be misled, Showunmi said “I trust him to fix this mess.”