Sowore and others were arrested in 2019 during the “RevolutionNow protest,” advocating for President Buhari’s removal. Subsequently, Sowore and co-defendant Olawale Bakare faced treason charges in the Federal High Court Abuja. Although Sowore had been granted bail during the trial, he was later rearrested.
The presidential candidate of African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore refused to stand up, amidst all the presidential candidates on their feets to honor the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammed Buhari while giving his closing remark.
The human rights defender said his refusal to stand up when Buhari was making his closing remark was a protest against the failure of the president of NIGERIA and his utter disregard for human rights and him being the worst President of Nigeria.
While other presidential candidates rose on their feets to honor the president, Sowore, the presidential candidate of African Action Congress stood his ground, sat down in protest.
The chairman of the Socialist party of Nigerian, Abiodun Bamigboye also known as Abbey Trotsky has said, Sowore’s manifesto is progressive and it should be supported.
Speaking at an event of the Democratic Socialist Movement on Saturday, 18th February, 2023, the SPN leader said, “Out of hopelessness, there would be a ray of hope. Omoyele Sowore to us in Democratic Socialist Movement is a ray of hope from the mass of the Nigerian working people in the coming election”.
Speaking further he said looking at Sowore’s program in 2019 compared to now, there has been a change that suits the taste of the Socialist Movement.
“AAC manifestos is the political party among the 18 political parties that is going to be on the ballot for election that has declared and described itself as an anti imperialist party. I am not sure if any other party has come close to that.
“Every candidate must insist that the right to be educated cogitatively should be at the democratic right of nigerians.”
He said Sowore’s manifesto is progressive and it should be supported.
“Sowore’s programs are progressive programs that every right thinking socialist and marxists must support.
The crisis in the electricity sector today, all of the candidates have maintained a criminal silence over it.
“Sowore is the only candidate that has come out to say if he becomes the president of nigeria, he is going to reverse the anomalies we have as regards the electricity crisis. He said he is going to reverse the privatization of the power sector.
Comrade Abbey Trotsky maintained that the problem of the power sector is never overcentralization but the lack of democracy in terms of management and its control. That explains the collapse of NITEL and OLD NEPA.
Most of the individuals that constitute the boards were political appointees of the then governments and they were not answerable to the masses so as not to divide the authority of those who appointed them.
“The fact that sowore has come to say that he is reversing that privatization and he is going to probe the process that leads to that privatization itself is a progressive decision that we feel we at dsm should identify with.
He said he has met some people who said for that period Nigeria is going to be sanctioned, even now that Nigeria is not sanctioned, they are worse than sanctioned countries. These are some of the programmes we have identified with
His position on national questions is fantastic.
He quoted the AAC presidential candidate saying, “Sowore said ethnic groups who feel they don’t want to be part of Nigeria should be accorded the right to go. the right to self determination would be respected on to the point of secession. He also recognised the fact that most people who are clamoring for separation felt cheated and their interest has been undermined.”
If Nigeria today provides jobs for all youth, makes education free and affordable for all Nigerians, all of those agitating for secession will die a natural death.
He said It is on the basis of all of this that the SPN/DSM decided after a long debate, to be part of Sowore.
“We hereby call on people to vote for Sowore because we know that a vote for Sowore will open up an avenue to begin conversation as to what socialism is and how to bring about a socialist government in Nigeria.
We know that a vote for Sowore will open up a room for working relationships so as to begin to build a platform to resist all the problems that are facing us as a nation. To be able to do that, collective efforts are needed.”
We, the Gubernatorial candidates of the African Action Congress (AAC), are not amazed that the expelled candidate of Akwa Ibom; Kwara; and Enugu; have deceived two other candidates of Gombe and Oyo to join in their wild goose chase while the party has significantly campaigned vigorously in this elections.
The AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore in the gathering of INEC officials with political party leaders on Monday, February 13th, 2023, held in Abuja has advised the INEC chairman, yakubu mahmood to speak out now if the election won’t be conducted as planned.
He noted that the CBN would sabotage the electoral process through the current issue of currency circulatory crises.
He said, “In our last meeting, I proposed very strongly that before we grant the central bank of Nigeria the opportunity to handle sensitive material, we should meet with the board of CBN.
“That was my position at the last meeting. It was as if I was seeing into the future that the CBN will try everything they can to sabotage this election, while some did not agree because they had a deal with the CBN governor.
“Now , these same individuals are holding rallies in support of the CBN, holding press conferences in support of the negative and retrogressive money crises in the country.
He stated that the CBN has guaranteed some candidates adequate money just like they guarantee INEC, but INEC should understand that going outside the monetary policy and the budget of the country to guarantee cash is illegal.
He reminded them of the process for moving cash and if cash is moved outside that process, it is money laundering.
“Don’t let anybody promise you cash without the right process.
“Also you cannot deny the fact that people don’t have money to spend because according to INEC rules, i cant vote in abuja, i have to travel to ondo state to go and vote, he added.
He said to the INEC chairman that “There is a monetary crisis in this country and no matter what they are doing to assure you of protection, they have no power to protect you.
“You should worry about nigerian people out there who on the way to this place as i was coming this morning are queuing up in every bank available in the country.
“The fact there is no petrol, gasoline to move your materials around should bother you.
“This is the time to be an activist yourself, ” says Sowore to the INEC chairman, mahmood yakub.
He continued, “Just like the way apc has become activist now. They are the ones who cause the problems, they are the ones who are also activists acting against the problems because they want to distance themselves from the problem they created.
“They are smart in their own ways. They want to make sure that they are not punished for the president they elected.
He said INEC should look at the chance of feasibility to logistically hold this election and tell the public the truth.
“The whole country is looking up to you and you will be blamed if the election fails. Wear the garment of your conscience. If you feel you cannot hold the election, can’t cry out now.
“You have a historical duty to make this election work, if you think you are being sabotaged, cry out now.
Sowore then further asked the INEC chairman three questions.
If there is an election runoff, are you prepared for it? And if it’s true that you are prepared, which party is on your ballot paper?
How many people have collected their PVC as of today?
You have one hundred and seventy six polling units and one hundred and six million polling agents, which parties sufficed these polling agents?
Help us it breakdown, how many polling agents were submitted to your office per party so that we don’t end up with one million polling agents for one party and the rest parties are sharing five hundred thousand.
Omoyele Sowore made this known while stating his position on the statement released by inec, in an interview with sunrise daily channels tv. There is always a conspiracy against democracy in this country, he said.
“We had a meeting as party leaders with security agencies in the country at the IG’s office a few weeks ago and we did raise this issue but they as usual downplayed it.
“What has happened to Nigeria this year is that Nigeria has failed successfully in the security area. We found out that a lot of non-state actors are in control of territory.
“They deactivate the public interest in elections. There is always a secret agenda in every electioneering cycle. There have been rumors to have an interim government and now INEC is coming out to say the election may not hold as planned because of security issues.
“We have always known we have a security issue but having pushed Nigerians into a point where everybody is now ready for an election and now saying in a few days to the election that it won’t go as planned is basically to make people lose interest in the election itself.”
He said the ruling class have other plans not for the sake of Nigerians but their personal interests.
“The Nigerian presidential election has always been postponed for one reason or another, but this time around, I see no reason why the election should be postponed. Inec should be well prepared by now because. It is 46 days until the election. The election should go on as planned unless there is something beneath that has not been told to the public.”
He said there is more to this than the media eyes.
Proffering solutions to the security issue he said, “There is a problem of militancy, that is why we can’t sell more than a million barrels of crude on a daily basis.
There is a problem of agitation for nationhood in the southwest and southeast, banditry in the northeast, terrorism in the northwest and above all, there is also governmental terrorism sprouting from the ideal of killing people who participate in peaceful protests.”
He said he will look at all these areas as the president of Nigeria and bring out what will fit each peculiar security challenge.
“For southwest it will be dialogue, for the bandits it will be stick. For the militants it will be further dialogue on how to fix their environment and the issue that is making this militancy come together.”
He said, without solving the socio-economic problem of the people, we can’t get the kind of security that will be needed.
“The damage done by the government to its citizens is what we are reaping from. If you have done justice to the southeast after the civil war nobody would be agitating for Biafra.
The AAC presidential candidate said leadership must be applied in solving the dislocation in society. He also said any kind of terrorism that lasts more than 10 years requires more than shooting at people.
Speaking on his ambition, Omoyele Sowore said his political party led the transformational and innovative style of campaign. There are multidimensional ways of campaigning and that’s what his party has engaged in.
He also said the media doesn’t cover them as they do other ‘big pockets,’ he said he is relying on the people. “We are bringing ideas to bear on a political process. I am sure ideas would win one day in this country.
“Nigeria has a foundational problem that is why people are asking for restructuring. Nigeria is about to tip over if drastic decisions are not taken, Sowore said while addressing the issue of decision-making as the president.
“Creating a brand new constitution that will take into consideration, cutting down the governance by getting rid of the senate, right people would be put in charge of security and his government will aggressively pursue electricity.
“Within my few days in office, I want to sign contracts to put this country out of darkness and that would be by generating twenty thousand megawatts of electricity, he said.”
To put people out of poverty, we have to industrialize and produce, to produce we must have electricity. It is impossible to experience the industrial revolution without electricity. The rest with infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture to feed the nation would be adequately pursued and attained.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore has said that the Nigerian educational system can not be funded by court judgement, going against the judgement of the appeal Court which orders the Academic Staff Union of University workers to call of its 8 months old strike.
Sowore said this at the 2022 convention of the Law Students Society of Nigeria (LAWSAN) which held at Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Sowore said “Most of our leaders are people who ought to be in prison were it that our legal systems were working for crimes that they committed against the people of Nigeria.”
“Our political reality in Nigeria today is clearly defined by our legal system. If the legal system had been working in the interest of justice, there would have been clearance for a lot of you to have made progress in your life.”
“Were the legal system designed for justice, Judges would not force lecturers to go back to school instead of forcing the government to fund education because regardless of the temporary relief you get from this judgement and orders, education can not be funded by court judgement except it is directed at the right people.”
“The argument that government can not find education is superfluous, reckless and unjust, because why? Government can fund the accountant general to take home 150 billion Naira to take home,” Sowore added,” the Presidential candidate added.
Recall the ASUU had declared a strike action on February 14 which was intended to force the federal government to fund education properly amongst other issues. Eventually, the 8 months ASUU strike was brought to an end by a judgement of the Appeal court on October 7th which ordered the lecturers to return to class while it’s appeal is heard.
Abiodun Sanusi
Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) has admitted that it was the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (Glory Dome), Abuja, which called for the arrest of five human rights activists who wore the #BuhariMustGo T-Shirts to its church service last Sunday.
This is just as the whereabouts of the activists remain unknown with the DSS and the Dunamis Church refusing to take responsibility for the arrest and detention of the activists.
Earlier on, the FCT command of the DSS as well as the headquarters had both denied being in custody of five activists arrested by Dunamis church security.
“At a meeting with Pastor Paul Enenche yesterday, the pastor told Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju that the five activists were with DSS. However, the DSS vehemently denied holding the five activists.
“Meanwhile no one has heard from the activists since Sunday when church security attacked them and detained them in the church premises. Their phones have since been switched off,” a source revealed.
SaharaReporters learnt that the DSS and the church had first both denied arresting and detaining the human rights activists.
The worshippers were harassed and manhandled by the DSS officials and also denied food or sleep since Sunday in the DSS custody, SaharaReporters further learnt.
SaharaReporters learnt on Tuesday that the DSS had admitted that the Dunamis church called them to take away the “suspects.”
“About 48 hours after illegal arrest and detention by Dunamis church, we don’t know the whereabouts of these #BuhariMustGo activists,” one of the sources said.
The DSS has admitted that it was Pastor Enenche who called them.
At a meeting with Pastor Paul Enenche yesterday, the pastor told Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju that the five activists were with DSS. However, the DSS vehemently denied holding the five activists.
Meanwhile no one has heard from the activists since Sunday when church security attacked them and detained them in the church premises. Their phones have since been switched off.
“Two of them are said to be detained at the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad section of the state police command,” a source stated.
SaharaReporters had on Sunday reported that about ten activists went to the church on Sunday morning to worship at the church but some of them were surprisingly rounded up and arrested by the church security guards who later handed them over to the DSS operatives.
Five of the activists were whisked away in a Hilux van and two powerbikes.
SaharaReporters learnt on Tuesday that the state director of the DSS in the FCT was behind the detention of the activists.
“The five activists arrested at Dunamis are being detained by DSS director of FCT. They have been deprived of food and sleep since arrest,” a top source revealed.
The activists had been manhandled and beaten by the DSS operatives on the church premises, who also seized their mobile phones.
Human rights activists, Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, had met with Enenche over the arrest of the activists.
While clarifying the matter, Sowore said the pastor denied claims by some persons that the activists were trying to disrupt the church service.
“We are adults and if we are tired of the system and we say the system must collapse, it is our right to express ourselves freely. I told the pastor when he said he was not happy when the activists were trying to protest within the premises that with the way things are going on, more and more people will be wearing #BuhariMustGo T-shirts to the church because people are tired of Buhari regime.
“We have a respectable agreement and some disagreements over this issue but what is important to me and why I don’t want to drag this for too long is the release of these individuals from detention.
“We are going to wait till evening because we requested that they should be released today (Monday). Nobody knows their whereabouts. We don’t know whether they have been fed or they have been tortured,” Sowore had said.
The app is designed for all Nigerians at home and abroad how who are interested and want to be part of our visionary party, the African Action Congress party and the Take It Back movement led by Mr Omoyele Sowore.
Presidential Candidate of the Africa Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore has called on Nigerians to do the right thing at the polls to truly experience a New Year. He made the statement at a meeting with political parties and stakeholders of Ondo South Senatorial zone. At the meeting of top political players in the zone Sowore said “This time around this is going to be a new year for us if we do the right thing. We are all united today here because of our country Nigeria. Don’t get edgy if we are talking about problems created by other political parties. You are entitled to join political parties it’s your constitutional right and if you join a political party and you discover that the political party is not delivering don’t feel guilty about that. Feel free to go the path of honorary by joining personalities when you cannot find parties that carry forward your aspirations of a better country”.Calling on the stakeholders to do the right thing he said “you must have watched a lot of movies about Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Malcom X but sometimes you don’t know that your own Nelson Mandela is in your house because you ignore them when they show traits of these same individuals”.
One of the stakeholders Reverend Gbenga Akinrogunde said “for some time now I have been following you, I have listened to many of your talks and interactions, I’ve seen most of your videos where you get out of your car in hold up and you talk to people and it has stirred me. I want to encourage you. God is in this cause you are walking in for you to be a courageous leader of this magnitude this is the person our heart should work for”.Victor Abiodun from Okitipupa who is also convener of Ikale Advancement movement said “i am a living witness to his struggle for a better country. On August 1, 4th and 15th with Sowore we took to the street to protest the lack of electricity in Ore after which it was restored. I have no doubt he will be a good leader”.Delivering a goodwill message, Chief Thompson Akam from Ese Odo ward one said “it is not surprising to me anymore, when I got the invitation, I have assessed you severally even in your community. You were able to convince me about your aims and goals and I wish you the best. Please remember those of us that helped get you there when you do”.
