Nigerian human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has issued a fiery warning over the deteriorating state of the nation, accusing those in power of sinking the country deeper into chaos while clinging desperately to control.
Speaking during a powerful interview on Channels TV, Sowore painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s social, political, and economic landscape, declaring that Nigerians are exhausted—not for lack of hope, but because hope is being deliberately extinguished.
“Nigerians are tired,” he said. “But not because there’s no way out—it’s because those who should be leading them to solutions are more obsessed with consolidating power.”
Sowore pointed to a sharp decline in leadership accountability, worsening poverty, widespread insecurity, and a government increasingly intolerant of free speech and dissent. He singled out the Cybercrime Act—a law he called “notorious”—as a weapon being wielded against the voices of everyday Nigerians, especially the youth.
“That law has no place in a democracy,” he said, detailing his own battles with what he called “cyber repression.”
“I’ve faced three separate charges under this law. My passport has been seized for three months. Others have it worse—young people jailed for TikTok videos. For tweets. For simply speaking truth to power.”
Sowore’s remarks come amid a wave of coordinated protests across major cities under the Take It Back Movement, calling for justice, transparency, and the repeal of laws used to suppress citizens.
“One young man spent 50 days in detention for a TikTok video allegedly insulting the president’s wife,” Sowore revealed.
“Another group of women spent Christmas and New Year behind bars for allegedly insulting the president’s son. That’s not governance—it’s tyranny in disguise.”
The activist didn’t stop there. He laid into what he described as a looming authoritarian plot by President Bola Tinubu to remain in power beyond his current term—allegedly pushing behind the scenes for a shift to a parliamentary system with a six-year term, a move that could stretch his rule to ten years.
“That’s their secret plan,” Sowore said bluntly. “But we are planning in the open — to resist, to fight back, and to reclaim this country before it is too late.”
In his sweeping critique, Sowore also decried selective justice, referencing the emergency rule in Rivers State, which he called “manufactured,” contrasting it with the silence over violence in Plateau and other states.
“People are starving. Shelves are empty. Jobs are gone. Yet, instead of declaring an emergency where lives are being lost, they declare it in a state where no one was harmed — simply because of political calculations,” he said.
On the issue of protests and resistance, Sowore was unequivocal: “This is just the beginning.”
He described a strategic, escalating wave of demonstrations aimed at restoring free speech, electoral integrity, and the soul of the nation.
“People may say we’ve been protesting for years — but if an illness hasn’t been cured, do you stop giving medicine? We’re not just repeating old complaints — we’re witnessing a level of decay that threatens the very existence of the Nigerian people.”
As the nation hurtles toward more political uncertainty, Sowore’s call is clear: Organize. Resist. Reclaim.
“We cannot allow a country to be held hostage by one underperforming political family while millions suffer,” he concluded. “This is a battle for Nigeria’s survival — and we’re just getting started.”
