Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, has explained his decision to turn down an invitation to an opposition summit held in Ibadan ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the meeting as an effort to repackage discredited political figures under a different identity.
Sowore stated that he refused to attend the summit because several participants, whom he accused of overseeing years marked by stagnation, corruption, and systemic decline, cannot suddenly reposition themselves as advocates of progress or defenders of the populace.
“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 maintained that Nigerians remain fully aware of the country’s political history, stressing that those responsible for longstanding challenges should not be portrayed as a new alternative. The AAC presidential candidate reiterated that his party would not engage in what he described as a deceptive political exercise aimed at rebranding former leaders under the umbrella of opposition politics.
“Not all Nigerians are suffering from amnesia,” he said.
According to Sowore, the AAC is focused on advancing a fresh political direction anchored on integrity, accountability, and meaningful change.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our revolutionary party, the African Action Congress (@aacparty ), will not be part of any charade designed to recycle failed political actors under the guise of “opposition.” Instead, we are committed to presenting a formidable, people-driven alternative, one rooted in integrity, accountability, and genuine transformation,” he added.
He further noted that the party intends to galvanize citizens nationwide around what he described as a credible vision, distancing itself from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and other opposition groups he characterized as opportunistic, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“We will mobilize Nigerians across the country to rally behind a credible vision that rejects the decadence and deception represented by both the @OfficialAPCNg and their opportunistic counterparts in ADC, PDP, Labour Party and elsewhere,” he said.
Sowore emphasized that resolving Nigeria’s challenges requires more than reshuffling familiar political figures, insisting instead on a decisive departure from the current system.
“Nigeria does not need a rearrangement of the same broken pieces; it needs a complete break from the past,” he concluded.
