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As Nigeria's political landscape heats up ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, a prominent figure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has delivered a scathing assessment of one of President Bola Tinubu's potential challengers.
Segun Sowunmi, a PDP chieftain and former spokesperson for ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar's presidential campaign, boldly declared during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today that Peter Obi the Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate simply doesn't pose a strong opposition to the incumbent leader.
Here are recent images of Segun Sowunmi, the outspoken PDP strategist at the center of this fiery debate:

Sowunmi pulled no punches, pointing to what he sees as fundamental flaws in Obi's political base and leadership style. He argued that the current crop of governors in Nigeria's Southeast region Obi's traditional stronghold lack the kind of inspirational leadership needed to rally support effectively.
"You have to go back and look at the people sitting there now," Sowunmi said. "Some of them are delivering on values and assignments. If they are inspirational leaders, none of them can Obi run over just like that. It’s not as easy as that."
He went further, blaming Obi's setbacks on his handling of the "Obidient" movement the grassroots phenomenon that propelled him in 2023. According to Sowunmi, the movement was initially created with good intentions to break barriers for Southeast representation, but it faltered due to unchecked issues."We created that movement believing that we should be able to tour that glass ceiling so that our Southeast brothers can get it done," he explained. "Unfortunately, his inability to tame the excessive bigotry and the anger and the quarrel made a lot of people to push back."
Sowunmi's comments come amid growing speculation about the 2027 race, where Tinubu is expected to seek re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC) banner. Obi, who shocked the establishment by finishing third in 2023 with massive youth support, has been positioning himself as a reformist alternative, but critics like Sowunmi argue his momentum has waned.
The PDP insider's critique has already ignited fierce reactions online, with Obi's supporters defending his integrity and vision, while others see it as a sign of opposition disunity that could benefit Tinubu.
As alliances shift and strategies unfold, one thing is clear: the road to 2027 is shaping up to be a battle of narratives, egos, and regional power plays. Will Obi prove his detractors wrong, or is Sowunmi's assessment a preview of tougher times ahead for the Labour leader?
The political chess game continues and Nigeria is watching every move.