The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has distanced himself from the opposition summit held in Ibadan, Oyo State, describing it as an attempt to recycle discredited political actors.
Mr Sowore disclosed in a post on his X page that he was invited to the gathering but declined to attend, insisting that Nigerians deserve a genuine alternative rather than what he called a “charade.”
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“There is no need to pretend that the same men (and a few women) who held Nigeria to ransom for years, presiding over stagnation, corruption, and systemic decay, can suddenly reinvent themselves as champions of progress or defenders of the people,” he said.
The activist said his party, the African Action Congress (AAC), would not participate in any arrangement aimed at rebranding established political figures under the guise of opposition politics.
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Instead, he said the AAC would focus on building a people-driven alternative anchored on integrity, accountability and systemic change.
Mr Sowore also criticised both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and major opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the Labour Party, accusing them of perpetuating a cycle of “decadence and deception.”
He said Nigeria requires a complete break from its political past, rather than what “a rearrangement of “the same broken pieces.”
“We will mobilize Nigerians across the country to rally behind a credible vision that rejects the decadence and deception represented by both the @OfficialAPCNg and their opportunistic counterparts in ADC, PDP, Labour Party and elsewhere,” he said.
More criticisms
Mr Sowore’s comments come amid efforts by opposition leaders to forge a united front ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had hosted prominent figures from various opposition parties at the Ibadan summit to strategise on challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the initiative has also drawn criticism and ridicule from the ruling party.
Premium Times had reported that the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, mocked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar after a photo circulated showing him apparently dozing during the summit.
He said the gathering was unserious and questioned its legitimacy.
The Oyo State chapter of the APC also criticised the meeting, dismissing it as a coalition of failed political actors and accused its conveners, including Mr Makinde and other opposition figures, of lacking credibility to present a viable alternative to Nigerians.
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In a statement, the Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, dismissed the summit as an exercise in political futility, arguing that the opposition was attempting to catch up with a party that had already established a commanding lead.
He maintained that the ruling All Progressives Congress remains firmly in control of the political landscape, The Nation reports.
“Funny enough, there are some individuals among these opposition jesters who know that President Tinubu travels in a speed of light to outpace his opponents when it comes to real politics but they would not say the truth to their co-travelers because a dog that is destined for perdition would not mind the whistle of the hunter.
