Segun Showunmi’s Support for Tinubu Not Betrayal — PVM President

By Prince Gbadegeshin Ademola, President, Progressives Vision Movement (PVM)

In politics, yesterday’s criticism does not necessarily invalidate today’s support. Otunba Segun Showunmi, who previously criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the conduct of the 2023 general elections and questioned the direction of the government, has every democratic right to reassess his political position after examining subsequent developments, government policies and their long-term implications for Nigeria.

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The fundamental question should not be why Otunba Segun Showunmi changed his position, but what informed that change. Political opinions are not permanent contracts. They can evolve through experience, access to new information, a better understanding of government decisions and an assessment of policies that were previously misunderstood or rejected.

Showunmi’s earlier criticism of the APC should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of dishonesty in his present advocacy for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election. Equally, his current support does not erase his previous statements. What matters is whether he can explain his transition convincingly, acknowledge his earlier concerns and provide verifiable evidence for the positions he now advances.

Some of the policies introduced under the Tinubu administration, particularly economic reforms, fiscal restructuring and initiatives aimed at attracting investment, have been presented by government officials as measures intended to address longstanding structural challenges. Showunmi may have examined these policies and concluded that their potential long-term benefits justify his present support for the administration.

However, defending those policies requires more than political enthusiasm. Nigerians are entitled to ask about their implementation, economic consequences, measurable achievements and effects on ordinary citizens. Showunmi’s arguments should therefore be examined on their merits, including how they address the hardships and disagreements surrounding the reforms.

There is a difference between changing one’s political convictions and abandoning one’s principles. A change based on evidence, careful reflection and a willingness to explain previous disagreements can be intellectually defensible. The real test of consistency is not whether someone has maintained the same opinion forever, but whether the standards used to assess government performance remain honest and transparent.

Ultimately, Otunba Segun Showunmi’s transition from critic to advocate of the Tinubu administration should be assessed through his explanations, the accuracy of his claims and the evidence he presents. Nigerians can acknowledge his right to reconsider his political position while independently evaluating whether the administration’s policies have delivered the results being claimed.

Prince Gbadegeshin Ademola

President, Progressives Vision Movement (PVM)