Our Reporter, Abuja
Nigerian activist and Sahara Reporters founder, Omoyele Sowore, has opened up on the personal and political struggles that have marked his decades-long fight against corruption and oppression, vowing to remain resolute as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the latest edition of Diaspora Dialogue on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Sowore traced his activism back to his student days at the University of Lagos in the early 1990s, where he took part in protests against the Babangida regime. Those early battles, he said, shaped his lifelong commitment to challenging injustice and exposing corruption through his platform, Sahara Reporters.
Over the years, this role has made him a target of lawsuits, smear campaigns, and life-threatening attacks, including a near-fatal poisoning. Sowore recalled the heavy toll on his family life: arbitrary detentions, passport seizures, missed milestones such as his daughter’s graduation, and the trauma of his mother’s stroke during his imprisonment. His family, he revealed, has even required police protection due to threats against his children’s school.
Despite the risks, Sowore declared he remains undeterred, lamenting Nigeria’s tendency to “celebrate oppressors” while activists and whistleblowers face harassment, cyberbullying, and intimidation. He stressed the urgent need for grassroots mobilization and a coalition of the oppressed, insisting that integrity must not be sacrificed for political convenience.
The dialogue, moderated by Professors Farooq Kperogi, Moses Ochonu, and Dr. Osmund Agbo, placed Sowore’s journey within the wider history of Nigerian dissent. Prof. Kperogi likened Sahara Reporters to earlier underground presses, while Prof. Ochonu urged Sowore to look beyond individual candidacies and consider building a broad-based movement. Dr. Agbo praised his courage but advised channeling his activism toward systemic change through coalition-building.
Turning to the 2027 elections, Sowore alleged that the political landscape had already been skewed in President Bola Tinubu’s favour through control of states, appointments, and the judiciary, warning that only unforeseen events could shift the balance. Still, he called for greater voter mobilization, resistance to apathy, and the strengthening of structures like the African Action Congress (AAC) to lay the groundwork for systemic change.
In a Q&A with activist Chido Onumah, Sowore argued that the presidency remains the only office with enough power to reset Nigeria’s system. He confirmed his intention to keep contesting while working with allies committed to integrity and accountability.
The programme ended with the introduction of Chioma Ifemeludike, AAC’s governorship candidate for Anambra State, who presented her platform centered on good governance and easing citizens’ hardships.
