Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has issued a strong warning that the growing frustration among Nigerians might ignite a fresh wave of mass protests similar to the historic #EndSARS movement, if the Tinubu-led government fails to urgently address the nation’s deteriorating conditions.
Speaking during Frontline, a current affairs programme aired on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ilese-Ijebu on Thursday, Sowore declared that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has failed in virtually every sector.
“This administration is heading into its second year, and it is a second year of failure,” he said bluntly.
“By May 29th, Tinubu will be celebrating his second anniversary of failure. That is the most honest way to describe his leadership — failure in the economy, failure in securing the nation, failure in infrastructure, food provision, access to water, and in ensuring workers earn a living wage.”
“Today is Workers’ Day, yet there’s no happy worker in Nigeria,” Sowore added
The #EndSARS movement, which began in 2017 as a social media outcry against police brutality — particularly the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) — evolved into a nationwide protest in October 2020. It culminated in the tragic Lekki Toll Gate shooting on October 20, 2020, a dark day remembered for the brutal crackdown on unarmed demonstrators.
Sowore, who was also a prominent voice during the #EndSARS protests, stated that the current mood in the country is reflective of similar discontent and despair, warning that another mass mobilization under the banner #TinubuMustGo could erupt if nothing changes.
However, he clarified that while the intent is to achieve meaningful change, the movement does not advocate violence. “We are not looking to replicate the bloodshed of the Lekki Tollgate or mimic the violent fallout of Kenya’s #RutoMustGo.”
“Our goal is to press for transformation without violence. Well-meaning Nigerians must rise against bad governance,” he explained.
Addressing the labels often hurled at him by the political class, Sowore rebuffed the “political rascal” tag, describing it as a tactic used to deflect accountability.
“Let’s be clear — political rascals are those who commit political assassinations and plunder national resources. We are not rascals.”
“They only resort to name-calling when they realise we won’t let them continue to ruin this country. Calling us rascals for trying to fix Nigeria is not only wrong but ridiculous,” he emphasized.
The activist also took aim at the country’s political coalitions ahead of the 2027 general elections. In his view, recent calls for alliances and realignments lack genuine ideology and are merely opportunistic.
“Political parties should be platforms for uniting people with shared values,” he noted. “But what we have are alliances formed to loot, not to lead. The same people who refused coalition in the last election are now singing a different tune because they’ve weakened themselves politically.”
“These coalitions,” he continued, “are not designed to serve Nigerians. They are vehicles built to carry the next set of thieves into power to drain the treasury.”
