2027: ‘I’m running for president; I’m voice of conscience — Sowore replies Donald Duke
Sowore Affirms Presidential Bid in Response to Duke’s Comments
By Adegboyega Adeleye
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has clarified his intentions regarding the upcoming 2027 presidential election following remarks made by Donald Duke, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate and former governor of Cross River State.
In a recent interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, Duke praised Sowore, calling him a “voice of conscience,” while expressing uncertainty about Sowore’s candidacy. “He says things that some of us, maybe due to civility, won’t say, but they’re real,” Duke remarked.
Sowore took to social media on Tuesday to thank Duke for the acknowledgment but emphasized that he is indeed running for the presidency. “Dear Donald Duke, thank you for describing me as a ‘voice of conscience’… But let me clear up your uncertainty, I AM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA IN 2027,” he stated.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed Sowore’s candidacy by including his name on the final list of presidential candidates. Sowore highlighted this validation and noted that his political goals extend beyond traditional ambitions for power.
“My candidacy differs from the conventional pursuit of political office,” Sowore explained. “We, in the AAC, are running to fundamentally change Nigeria and dismantle the rotten political order that has kept our people poor while enriching a tiny ruling class.”
He articulated his party’s platform, which prioritizes equal rights, justice, living wages, education, healthcare, security, electricity, and housing.
Additionally, Sowore dismissed the notion of the AAC joining an opposition coalition. He indicated that such alliances would merely seek to replace President Bola Tinubu with another member of the political establishment. “That is precisely why we will not disappear into an ‘opposition coalition’ whose principal ambition is merely to replace Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu with another member of the same establishment,” he stated.
Concluding his message, Sowore reiterated his commitment to the race and responded to Duke’s earlier commentary. “There should be no confusion, yes, I am a voice of conscience, yes, but that voice is also on the ballot. See you on the campaign trail!”
Sowore also referenced a presidential debate hosted by the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, suggesting that Duke’s late arrival hindered his opportunity to address concerns about his candidacy at that event. “Consider yourself lucky that you arrived late… I would have cleared your doubts by now,” Sowore added.
