By Emmanuella Opara | October 22nd 2026
KEY POINTS
- PDP chieftain Segun Showunmi says the death of Moshood Abiola and the struggle to actualise the June 12, 1993, election mandate shaped his political convictions.
- He warns political actors against releasing unverified election results in ways that could threaten national stability.
- Showunmi advocates a power-sharing arrangement that rotates political leadership between northern and southern Nigeria.
- He reaffirms his commitment to national unity and says he will not allow his statements to be misrepresented.
MAIN STORY
Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Ogun State, Segun Showunmi, has said the death of Moshood Abiola and the struggle to actualise the June 12, 1993, presidential election mandate profoundly shaped his democratic convictions and political journey.
Showunmi, convener of The Alternative Movement, made the remarks in a statement on Thursday, saying the loss of Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled election, had left an enduring emotional scar on him.
He said his contributions to Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle should not be dismissed or misrepresented, adding that he would neither trivialise Abiola’s sacrifice nor allow his own statements to be taken out of context.
Addressing the country’s political situation, Showunmi cautioned contestants against actions that could lead to a breach of the law or threaten national stability, particularly threats to release unverified election results.
He said his reference to events in 1992 was intended to demonstrate how political tensions could escalate when caution, restraint and respect for the law were abandoned.
Showunmi maintained that his comments were a warning about the consequences of reckless political conduct, rather than an encouragement of actions capable of destabilising the country.
The PDP chieftain also rejected suggestions that his position was motivated by ethnic interests, insisting that his commitment to Nigeria’s unity transcended sectional considerations.
He urged Yoruba activists to understand his statements in the context of his commitment to national cohesion, saying he would not subordinate that position to ethnic sentiment.
Showunmi also renewed his call for a power-sharing arrangement under which political power would rotate between the northern and southern parts of the country.
According to him, a predictable and mutually respected system of power rotation could reduce political suspicion, strengthen national unity and support democratic development.
He said he intended to speak more extensively in the future about his contributions to the pro-democracy struggle and the influence of events surrounding Abiola’s death on his political journey.
Showunmi also acknowledged the role of media entrepreneur and politician Dele Momodu during that period, saying his contribution deserved recognition.
He warned against interpreting his restraint as a lack of historical understanding or his commitment to national unity as an absence of personal conviction.
THE ISSUES
Showunmi’s statement centres on the legacy of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and the impact of Abiola’s death on Nigeria’s democratic development. His comments also address the risks of political actions that could undermine national stability.
His renewed advocacy for power rotation between northern and southern Nigeria reflects his position that a predictable power-sharing arrangement could help reduce political distrust and strengthen national cohesion.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The scar in my heart from the loss of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola has not fully healed. His death and the circumstances surrounding the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate left an indelible mark on my life,” Segun Showunmi, PDP chieftain and convener of The Alternative Movement, said.
“None of the contestants, particularly those threatening to release unverified election results in circumstances that could plunge the country into chaos, should be encouraged to take any action that could bring them into conflict with the law or endanger our national stability,” Showunmi said.
“I have long expressed the view that Nigeria should manage political power through a pendulum arrangement between the Northern and Southern parts of the country,” Showunmi said.
“My commitment is to Nigeria. My loyalty is to the democratic ideal. My respect for MKO Abiola’s sacrifice is enduring. And my conviction that Nigeria must survive, mature and prosper remains unshaken,” Showunmi said.
WHAT’S NEXT
Showunmi said he would provide further details about his role in the pro-democracy struggle and how the events surrounding Abiola influenced his political journey.
BOTTOM LINE
Showunmi says Abiola’s death remains central to his democratic convictions. He has also reiterated his call for power rotation between northern and southern Nigeria and urged political actors to avoid actions that could threaten national stability.
