Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned what he describes as the government’s ongoing persecution of peaceful protesters, accusing state authorities of fearing unarmed demonstrators more than violent threats.
Asked whether he believed the government feared demonstrators, Sowore responded pointedly, “I do. I do completely. They are afraid of placards more than they are afraid of guns, because they have the capacity to respond to people who are shooting at the government, but they have no capacity, they have no ability, and they have no strategy to stop the majority.”
“People in their light numbers carrying placards are more dangerous than people in their light numbers carrying guns.”
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Sowore criticised the Nigerian government’s handling of the treason trial against 11 “End Bad Governance” protesters, which was adjourned once again. He described the case as baseless and politically motivated.
“As it is typical of the Nigerian police, the prosecutors in this case, they came to court asking for an adjournment, claiming that the police officer who started the prosecution has been retired, which is false. He wasn’t retired. He was dismissed from the police force for altering his age,” Sowore said. “In the first place, the originator of the charges is also going to be facing charges in the next one week or so for altering his age.”
He accused the state of deliberately pursuing the trial to silence civil resistance, “Those ones were minors, likely. Right. And because of the embarrassment involved in that, they quickly discontinued those charges. But for these ones, they want to continue to use them to discourage others who might get involved in peaceful protests in the future.”
The case was adjourned until October, a delay Sowore described as deliberate and wasteful.
“It’s adjourned until October, which is time-wasting,” he said.
“They couldn’t provide any strand of evidence to show that these guys committed any of these crimes that they have been persecuted for. It’s shameful in court today.”
He explained his own continued activism despite multiple arrests and ongoing court battles.
“I’m making a sacrifice. I’m using my body, I’m using my conviction to stop what is evil in my society. And that sacrifice is way more important, it’s more impactful than what could come to me in terms of harm.”
Sowore, who faces several criminal and civil cases, noted the financial and emotional toll but thanked volunteer lawyers for their support,
“I have to also use this opportunity to thank people, lawyers who have been supportive. They volunteered. They volunteered to support my work.”
He also expressed solidarity with protesters in Kenya and suggested that the latest adjournment may have been an attempt to prevent the protesters’ participation in the upcoming one-year anniversary of the End Bad Governance movement.
“My suspicion today when they were asking for a new date is that they want to make sure that these guys are not discharged and acquitted, so that they may not be part of the planning for it.”
On political ambition, Sowore said he remains active beyond election cycles,
“Unlike the regular politicians, I’m always running… I’m not looking at the calendar before I become active.”
“Even before 2027, I never left, I never took my name out of running.”
He also rejected any possibility of defecting to join the ruling party,
“I don’t care who the president of Nigeria is, as long as there is justice. As long as people can feed, there’s healthcare.”
Commenting on current efforts to form a coalition of opposition parties, Sowore dismissed them as distractions.
“No, no, I’m not part. I have made it very clear that the opposition that Nigerian people need is the opposition created by the oppressed.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
