Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has firmly declined an appeal to join the emerging coalition of opposition leaders preparing to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sowore dismissed the idea of aligning with political figures he accused of contributing to Nigeria’s long-standing problems.
He referenced the roles played by some of the coalition’s key members in various alleged acts of corruption, human rights abuses, and betrayal of democratic ideals.
He insisted he had never been part of any criminal or exploitative political network and would not now lend his support to what he described as the same class of political actors responsible for Nigeria’s current state.
Sowore made it clear that his only loyalty was to ordinary Nigerians who have been oppressed, cheated, and silenced, and that he would only align with those committed to ending what he called a national nightmare caused by decades of misrule.
He described his position as part of a revolutionary movement aimed at restoring dignity and justice to the country.
He wrote, “I did not join Bola Ahmed Tinubu in distributing heroin and cocaine in Chicago.
“I did not join Atiku Abubakar in looting the Nigerian Customs dry.
“I did not join David Mark when he stole funds meant to fix our telephones and later helped to crush our democratic hopes on June 12.
“I did not join Abubakar Malami, SAN, in violating human rights and looting the treasury under Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.
“I did not join Nasir El-Rufai in massacring Shiites and fueling religious genocide in Southern Kaduna.
“I did not join Peter Obi at the Tin Can Ports while he cleared goods for Sani Abacha when the same Abacha was dismantling Nigeria brick by brick.
“I did not join Sule Lamido and the SDP traitors who sold out MKO Abiola and the will of the Nigerian people.
“I did not join Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi while he gambled away Rivers State funds and abandoned the mini-rail project already paid for.
”I have never joined an armed robbery gang. I have never pledged allegiance to any cult—no matter how popular, powerful, or fanciful.
“I have only one allegiance: to the oppressed, the disenfranchised, the cheated, the silenced. I will join only those ready and willing to end this national nightmare created by these character listed above!
“Let it be known: I stand with a vanguard of justice. A coalition of truth. A revolutionary team to restore the dignity of Nigerians.
“Nigeria must be free from these evil doers.”
His response came after Nigerian lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju publicly urged him to reconsider his longstanding ideological stance and join the new coalition.
Adeyanju had argued that extraordinary political times required difficult sacrifices and suggested that joining the coalition would elevate Sowore’s public image while advancing national interest.
Nigerian Tribune
