A Civic advocacy platform, the Alternative Movement has urged Nigerians, particularly young people to take more active roles in politics to strengthen democratic governance and influence policy decisions.
The Convener of the Movement and PDP chieftain, Segun Showunmi, made the call in Abeokuta during the “Guest Forum” organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, where he addressed issues of national cohesion, power rotation, and political inclusion.
The “Guest Forum” is designed to foster constructive engagement between policymakers, political actors, and the public on issues shaping society.
Speaking during the session, Showunmi emphasised the importance of retaining presidential power in the South beyond 2027, saying “it aligns with Nigeria’s long-standing understanding of regional balance and rotational leadership.”
He noted that the North held the presidency for eight years under Muhammadu Buhari, making it reasonable for the South to retain the position in the current political cycle.
While acknowledging internal disagreements within the South, Showunmi maintained that such disputes should not undermine the broader expectation that the region should still produce the President.
He warned that attempts to return power to the North in 2027 could heighten tensions, particularly among Southern and Middle Belt groups that consider rotation a matter of fairness and national stability.
On Atiku Abubakar’s potential 2027 ambition, Showunmi said:
“I love Atiku, but he needs to understand the concept of seasons and time. When the pendulum swung to the North, Buhari completed eight years. Now that it has swung to the South, it should remain there.”
Showunmi also called on President Bola Tinubu to consider a political solution in the case of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, recently sentenced to life imprisonment.
Showunmi argued that resolving the matter politically would help douse tensions and promote unity.
According to him, “releasing Kanu would reduce insecurity in the South-East and reassure the Igbo community that there is no deliberate effort to isolate or punish them.”
Showunmi stressed that: “The civil war is long over. Keeping Kanu behind bars only strengthens violent groups. A political solution serves the greater good of the country.”
Addressing concerns about the judgment, he emphasised that the legal process should continue without interference but dismissed claims of ethnic or political bias.
“It is only the Court of Appeal that can determine if there was a miscarriage of justice. Let no one imagine that tribalism played any role in the judgment,” he said.