Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has issued a defiant response to Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho following reports that Igboho threatened opposition figures against holding political rallies in the Southwest, declaring that he will campaign freely anywhere in Nigeria and daring Igboho to attempt to stop him.
Sowore made the remarks during an appearance on Symfoni TV where he addressed the growing tension between political activists and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections. He dismissed Igboho’s threats as nothing more than a psychological tool being used to intimidate opposition voices and discourage Nigerians from participating in the democratic process.
Speaking with visible confidence, Sowore said he is not the kind of person who can be silenced or frightened by threats. “I will go anywhere in Nigeria to campaign, and I want to see him try to stop me. I am sure he will never try,” Sowore said. He then explained what he believes is the real purpose behind such threats. “Some of this is also psychological. They use these figures to intimidate you, so that you will not stand up to vote in 2027,” he added.
Sowore did not stop at dismissing the threats. He went on to take direct aim at Igboho’s style of politics, describing it in terms that suggested it is driven by personal gain rather than genuine ideology or principle. “I don’t know him too well, but I have always said that his brand of politics is what they call amala politics in Oyo State. It is chop-chop politics. It is the politics that in the Southeast they used to call rub my back, I rub your back,” Sowore said.
The activist went even further by placing Igboho in the same category as political figures from Nigeria’s past who tied their fortunes to powerful regimes and were eventually disgraced when those regimes fell. He specifically mentioned Arthur Nzeribe, who once famously vowed to die if military ruler Ibrahim Babangida did not become president, and Daniel Kanu, who made a similar pledge of loyalty to the late military dictator Sani Abacha. Sowore noted that both men’s political careers collapsed alongside the regimes they served, suggesting that Igboho is heading down the same path.
The exchange reflects a growing tension in Nigeria’s political landscape as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections. In recent weeks, there have been increasing reports of attempts to discourage opposition activities in certain parts of the country, particularly in the Southwest, which is widely regarded as a political base for the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu.
Sunday Igboho rose to national prominence in 2021 when he launched a campaign against what he described as the invasion of Yoruba land by armed herders, positioning himself as a defender of Yoruba interests. His activities drew both praise and criticism, and he was eventually arrested in Benin Republic in July 2021 before being released months later. Since his return to Nigeria, Igboho has remained active in public discourse, though his political affiliations and statements have drawn scrutiny from opposition figures like Sowore.
Sowore, on the other hand, has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most outspoken critics of both military and civilian governments. He ran for president in 2019 and 2023 on the platform of the African Action Congress and has consistently positioned himself as a voice against what he describes as corruption, oppression, and political manipulation in the country….See More
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