In a recent interview from 9:35 on The Volume Pod, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, former spokesperson to Atiku Abubakar during the 2019 presidential campaign, spoke on the internal structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC), political alignment, and Nigeria’s regional power dynamics.
During the interview, Sowunmi stated, “APC is built on two axes: BAT represents the south, and Buhari represents the north.” He used the statement to explain what he described as the foundational balance of forces within the ruling party.
He specifically referenced Bola Ahmed Tinubu, popularly known as BAT, and former President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that the APC’s political strength has historically been shaped by a north–south power structure that helped unify diverse regional interests under one platform.
Sowunmi argued that understanding this dual structure is key to analyzing the APC’s electoral strategy and its ability to maintain national appeal, as both figures represent significant political constituencies across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
He further maintained that political parties in Nigeria often rely on such balancing arrangements to manage diversity, secure electoral advantage, and maintain internal cohesion in a country with deep regional and cultural differences.
The former Atiku campaign spokesperson also emphasized that the sustainability of any ruling party depends on how well it manages internal power transitions and respects the interests of its foundational blocs.
He concluded by reiterating that Nigeria’s political system is deeply shaped by regional balancing, insisting that parties that fail to understand or manage these dynamics risk internal tension and weakened electoral performance over time. Read_More…