Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has dismissed the ongoing wave of political realignments and defections ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing them as hollow and self-serving ventures by the political elite.
Sowore made this known during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM Ilese-Ijebu, where he criticized political coalitions in Nigeria as lacking genuine ideological foundations.
“Political coalitions in this country are often nothing more than vehicles created to carry the next set of thieves to win the national treasury,” he said. “They are not built on ideology or integrity, just convenience and greed.”
His remarks come amid defections across major parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and even the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sowore also reacted to criticism from political figures who label him and members of the Revolution Now Movement as “political rascals.” He refuted the tag, asserting that those behind political assassinations and systemic corruption are the real culprits.
“Political rascals are the ones who carry out political assassinations and engage in deplorable activities,” Sowore stated. “Some politicians call us rascals only when we challenge their plunder. Referring to those trying to fix the country as rascals is a misguided thought.”
He emphasized that what Nigeria truly needs is not coalitions of elites but unity among oppressed and marginalized citizens whose voices have been silenced by decades of recycled leadership.
“Political parties should unite like-minded people, but ironically, those calling for coalition now are the same ones who rejected it during the last election. They’ve weakened themselves,” he said.
Calling for a radical departure from the status quo, Sowore urged Nigerians to reject the entrenched system that recycles corrupt leaders.
“When we want to break an old system, we need to jettison the pipeline that supplies the rotten ones in the system,” he said. “Nigerians have to take a collective decision about these old recycled rotten politicians.”
On electoral reform, Sowore called for the abolition of the current voter card system, advocating instead for the use of national ID cards, international passports, or driver’s licenses for voting.
“The biggest burden imposed on citizens is the voter’s card, which has to be renewed every four years,” he argued. “People vote on Big Brother Naija from the comfort of their homes without rigging. Why are we not using technology yet?”
He further alleged that many undistributed voter cards are manipulated for election rigging and questioned the rationale for producing plastic cards that end up as identification documents in banks rather than serving their intended electoral purpose.
“The voter’s card has now become a document used to validate ID in banks, not even for voting because many citizens don’t see its relevance after elections. So why print excess plastic cards at the expense of the national treasury?” he asked.
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