Sowore, on the other hand, dismissed the gathering, calling those in attendance as the same political actors who have long contributed to Nigeria’s issues.
Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and human rights activist, has announced that he has declined an invitation to join the “Opposition Summit” in Ibadan, claiming that Nigerians want a viable alternative rather than a gathering of recycled failures.
Sowore made his views clear on Sunday, stating firmly that he would not participate in a political charade aimed at rebranding persons who had previously mismanaged the country.
On Saturday, leaders from at least ten Nigerian opposition political groups convened in Ibadan, Oyo State, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Accord Party (AP), and National Democratic Congress (NDC).
They accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to install a one-party state on the country, claiming that such a move would represent a “existential threat” to Nigerian democracy.
The position was expressed in a communiqué issued by the chairmen of the participating parties following a National Summit held in Oyo State’s capital.
In the statement titled the “Ibadan Declaration,” the opposition parties said Nigeria is under the “stranglehold of an oppressive and anti-democratic APC,” insisting that urgent and collective action is needed to “rescue the nation” and its over 200 million citizens.
The opposition parties vowed to reject the APC’s claimed machinations to impose a one-party system on Nigeria, emphasising their commitment to multiparty democracy.
Sowore, on the other hand, dismissed the gathering, calling those in attendance as the same political actors who have long contributed to Nigeria’s issues.
“I Declined the Ibadan ‘Opposition Summit’ Nigerians Deserve a Genuine Alternative, Not Recycled Failure,” he wrote.
“I was invited to attend the so-called ‘Opposition Summit’ in Ibadan, but I declined.”
The activist, who ran for president of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023, claimed that many of the political actors now promoting opposition politics were the same people who had contributed to Nigeria’s long-standing governance failings.
“There is no need to pretend that the same men (and a few women) who held Nigeria to ransom for years, presiding over stagnation, corruption, and systemic decay, can suddenly reinvent themselves as champions of progress or defenders of the people,” Sowore said.
He added, “Not all Nigerians are suffering from amnesia.”