Post Kaduna Rally: Study Tinubu As Your Curriculum, Showunmi Tells Atiku, Opposition

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Committee who is involved in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition politicians to study Tinubu’s political strategies and learn how to manage opposition politics instead of constantly complaining about the ruling party.

Showunmi, speaking during a thank-you visit to the Kaduna State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Sunday, said opposition politicians should take responsibility for their internal crises and build the capacity to organise their parties, rather than blaming the president for their political setbacks.

He also urged journalists to resist misinformation, hold politicians accountable and prevent political campaigns from inflaming ethnic and religious tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Taking a swipe at opposition politicians, Showunmi suggested they could formally approach Tinubu to learn how to manage themselves in opposition and prepare for future electoral contests.

“If they don’t know how to do opposition, they can write a letter, a proper letter, that, ‘Oh, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even though we know you are busy as president now, we want you to come and start a curriculum to teach us how to manage ourselves in opposition so that when the opportunity brings itself again, we won’t be shouting all over the place that somebody is disturbing us,’” he said.

Showunmi argued that political parties should learn to manage internal disagreements and electoral defeats without attributing every setback to external interference.

He also defended the political journey that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to power after 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule, describing the transition as an opportunity opposition parties should study.

The campaign figure, however, cautioned against political conduct capable of heightening insecurity, particularly when presidential aspirants visit states to campaign.

He questioned the wisdom of politicians who, according to him, engage in provocative activities during campaigns despite the security challenges confronting parts of the country.

Showunmi argued that presidential aspirants should consider their own safety and the capacity of their parties to manage internal disputes before creating situations that could worsen tensions.

He also warned journalists against allowing political actors to use misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric to undermine national cohesion.

“The stability of a nation is in the hands of those of you who own bylines, who have the microphone, who are in charge of everything communication,” he told journalists.

“Help us to insist that people stay on messaging, whether they are opposition or even the ruling party. They should stay on messaging, because that’s what’s going to be in our best interest.

“If somebody, if I’m telling lies, stop me. If they are telling lies, stop them,” he added.