I’m being punished for standing against corruption, injustice – Sowore
African Action Congress Candidate Claims Persecution for Advocacy
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC), asserted that he is facing retribution for advocating for his rights and those of Nigerians.
In an interview on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” on Friday, Sowore spoke out after his release from the Kuje correctional facility, where he had been detained following a N200 million bail related to a defamation suit filed by the government. The suit stemmed from his characterization of President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
“I’m not being tried for any public statements or my lineage regarding free speech versus criminality,” Sowore said. “I am being punished by those in power for standing up for my rights and the rights of others. This is not a new issue.”
He claimed that there has been longstanding animosity directed at him by the ruling elite in Nigeria, whom he accused of undermining the country. “They view me as an obstacle to their corruption and impunity,” he stated.
Sowore maintained that it is primarily the security agencies and their leadership who are against him, regardless of the official justification they provided for his arrest. He referenced past grievances, including the seizure of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and his expulsion from the University of Lagos, attributing these actions to his political activism during repressive regimes.
As the dialogue around freedom of speech and governmental accountability continues, Sowore’s situation spotlights the broader issues of political dissent in Nigeria.