Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has sparked fresh controversy after declaring that Peter Obi and the Labour Party do not represent authentic political opposition in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources on Sunday, Sowore described Obi’s 2023 presidential run as a “temporary movement”, arguing that it failed to meaningfully confront the ruling elite or mobilise enduring grassroots resistance.
“In terms of real opposition, I don’t know why anybody refers to Peter Obi as one. He hasn’t fought for the mandate he claimed or mobilised his supporters,”
Sowore said, criticising Obi for silence on national issues, such as fuel subsidy removal and economic hardship under the APC government.
“LABOUR PARTY IS AN AIRBNB PLATFORM”
Sowore likened the Labour Party to an Airbnb — a short-term political rental — suggesting it lacks ideological depth and institutional structure.
“When they’re done with Peter Obi, they’ll move it to someone else,” he quipped.
He also attributed Obi’s 2023 popularity to religious sentiment, triggered by the ruling party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, rather than political substance or structural viability.
Sowore issued a challenge to Obi’s followers:
“If you can’t put 60,000 people in the streets, then you’re not serious about opposition.”
He further alleged that Labour Party lawmakers are gravitating toward the APC, questioning their commitment to any transformative agenda.
“These guys were not real in 2023, and they won’t be in 2027.”
OBIDIENT MOVEMENT FIRES BACK
The Obidient Movement responded swiftly. Its National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, dismissed Sowore’s statements as baseless and dismissive of Obi’s impact.
“If Peter Obi is not a threat, why do they always talk about him? Whether he speaks or breathes, it makes news. That’s relevance,” Tanko said in a Channels Television phone interview.
Tanko also accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of taking political jabs at Obi in the Senate without addressing pressing national concerns.
“It wasn’t about national policy, just an attempt at character assassination.”
He reaffirmed the movement’s loyalty, stating:
“Obi will continue challenging the establishment, and we will back him.”
This latest war of words lays bare a growing rift between Nigeria’s grassroots opposition movements. While Sowore’s criticisms reflect a demand for more radical, sustained activism, the Obidients remain confident in Obi’s symbolic and electoral capital heading into 2027.
