2027 Election: Showumi Warns Against Power Imposition

Segun Showunmi, a leading PDP figure in Ogun State and convener of The Alternative, has sounded a strong alarm against any imposition of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.

In a message released on Friday to mark the 2026 Lisabi Day celebrations, Showunmi insisted that true political legitimacy must rest on local consensus and not external dictation from outside the state.

NaijaChoice News reports that the PDP chieftain described plans to keep the governorship in Iperu beyond 2027 as politically untenable and a direct threat to the stability of the Gateway State.

He pointed to the long-standing doctrine of equity, which rotates power among the Egba, Ijebu/Remo and Yewa/Awori blocs to maintain peace since the state’s creation.

Showunmi questioned the sense in allowing one locality to dominate for a 16-year stretch, urging a return to the rotational arrangement that has kept tensions low across Ogun.

“On the matter of 2027, it is neither rational nor just to contemplate a prolonged concentration of governorship power in Iperu,” he stated.

The warning comes as Governor Dapo Abiodun, who hails from Iperu-Remo, prepares to complete his second term in May 2027, amid fresh debates on zoning and power shift.

Showunmi also flagged recent shifts in traditional institutions, especially after the passing of Awujale Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona in July 2025, as part of what he called a pattern to weaken Egba influence in both first and second positions of power.

He singled out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Areago of Egbaland, saying his role would be watched closely because consultation is not optional but essential.

“The Egba people cannot and will not accept decisions imposed without their input regarding the leadership of Ogun State,” Showunmi declared.

The PDP leader stressed that cooperation must never be taken for weakness and that inclusion should not demand the sacrifice of dignity.

Political observers in Abeokuta see Showunmi’s intervention as a clear signal that Ogun Central will push back firmly against any attempt to bypass the equity principle ahead of the polls.

As parties begin early manoeuvres, his position has already sparked fresh conversations on how the state can avoid fresh divisions while respecting its delicate ethnic and traditional balance.