BREAKING: Most People In That Ibadan Joke Have Not Understood, Beyond Ambition Is Party Stabilization — Sowunmi

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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ogun State governorship aspirant, Segun Sowunmi, has expressed concern over what he described as instability within Nigeria’s political party system, calling for stronger institutional structures and discipline among political actors.

Sowunmi made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, May 1, 2026, where he reflected on Nigeria’s democratic journey and the conduct of politicians within the multi-party system. “I think the first thing to say is that between 1998 when multi-party democracy started, and where we are now, if there was any pretense about the quality of humans that we have become collectively, no bigger evidence reflects our anyhowness than this,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria has experienced its longest uninterrupted democratic period in the current republic, emphasizing that the adoption of a multi-party system was a deliberate choice. “It’s always good for you to look at the history of the country. We’ve never had a long period of democracy as we have now in this republic and we chose multi-party democracy as a choice, American style,” Sowunmi stated.

Highlighting what he described as a major challenge, he pointed to the failure of political actors to prioritize the development and stability of party structures over personal ambition. “One of the major disappointments is that over the years, and most of the people that are in that Ibadan joke are the ones who have not understood that beyond ambition is the stabilization of political parties,” he said.

He further stressed the importance of strengthening political parties as vehicles for governance. “If the vehicle, which is the political party, is not well tuned, well oiled, well reformed and well calibrated, this type of desperation will always produce this ugly spectacle,” he added.

Sowunmi described the situation as a concern for stakeholders across the political spectrum, including observers and those in leadership positions. “It must be a sobering moment for any observer, participant or even the ruling class and the leader of the country, that how is it that all of this party, the numerous, the number of them, how is it that for some reason there is no anchor?” he said.

He attributed the situation to what he described as the mismanagement of political opportunities by individuals. “And if you peel it back to figure out what exactly has caused this, you’re going to find out that people in our country have mismanaged the opportunity of contest,” he stated.

Sowunmi also criticized the recurring trend of politicians switching parties after unsuccessful bids. “You can’t insist that you have to be candidates all the time. And you cannot insist that when you cannot be candidates in one party, the next best thing is to hop to another party,” he said.

While acknowledging the principle of freedom of association, he cautioned against repeated defections. “Yes, freedom of association and all that can produce a no-choice situation, but if it repeats itself like six times, seven times in the course of this democracy, you know that you’re looking for the solution, whereas indeed you are the problem,” Sowunmi added.