A protest held in Abuja targeting human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, including educationist and human rights advocate Soneye AbdulAzeez, popularly known as LAS.

The protest, which appeared to be organized by a group of individuals alleging that Sowore is engaged in the blackmail of politicians, has raised concerns about the growing trend of sponsored demonstrations aimed at discrediting outspoken activists.

Reacting to the protest in a public statement, LAS condemned the gathering, describing it as a “sponsored attempt to malign a truth-teller.” He wrote:

“So some sponsored people gathered in Abuja to protest against Sowore claiming he is blackmailing politicians. Among many names are Saraki, Iweala, Obi. Saraki himself took Sowore to court and lost because Sowore has evidence of his corruption. Obi has refused to sue and the Pandora Papers are in the public. Iweala can’t do either. Nigerians, it is left for you to choose the right side to stand by.”

The activist referenced several high-profile figures allegedly mentioned during the protest, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Minister of Finance and current WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. LAS noted that while Saraki once took legal action against Sowore, the case was unsuccessful, reportedly due to compelling evidence presented by the activist.

He also pointed to the Pandora Papers — a global investigation that exposed hidden offshore accounts and financial dealings of prominent individuals — as being in the public domain, implying that Obi and others have yet to challenge the allegations in court.

Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters, has long been a vocal critic of political corruption in Nigeria and has faced numerous legal battles and state-sanctioned crackdowns for his activism.

The protest and the reactions it has triggered has once again reveal the polarized political climate in Nigeria, where activists and whistleblowers often face intense pressure and coordinated campaigns aimed at undermining their credibility.

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticized Peter Obi’s stance on the protests against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s economic policies, describing it as “questionably dishonest” and even “outrightly DUMB.”

Sowore’s remarks, which were made in a recent statement on his social media handles, point to what he perceives as a contradiction in Obi’s approach to political protests and governance.

Sowore, an outspoken critic of Nigeria’s political leadership, raised significant concerns regarding Obi’s involvement in Jonathan’s administration and his apparent dismissal of protests against the latter’s policies. “He seems to imply that protests against Goodluck Jonathan’s economic policies were unnecessary, given his role as an ‘Economic Adviser’ in that administration. They were all supporting themselves by looting Nigeria dry, including the role of his Fidelity Bank assisting Diezani to move hard cold cash,” Sowore remarked.

The activist also questioned Obi’s current perspective on the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, suggesting that if Obi believed protests were unwarranted under Jonathan, Tinubu’s handlers should adopt a similar stance. “If he believes protests are unwarranted under Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, why should Tinubu’s handlers not hold the same view? After all, they claim that their economic policies are for the good of Nigerians, even though our people are dying in droves, and they too have looted Nigeria dry in less than two years,” Sowore emphasized.

Sowore also pointed to Obi’s “Obidient” movement, which he said failed to take a stand on critical national issues, including the presidential election results and the #EndBadGovernance protests. He accused Obi and his movement of being inactive or complicit in the face of corruption, calling them “opportunists” who benefit from the struggles of others. “Notably, his Obidient movement did not protest the presidential election results, which they repeatedly claimed he won, nor did they participate in the #EndBadGovernance protests in 2024, claiming it was set up by ‘controlled opposition’,” Sowore stated.

He further criticized Obi for his silence during the fuel price hikes and his failure to oppose the Naira redesign policy, pointing out that Obi’s ally, former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, played a crucial role in the policy. “Even with the fuel price hikes he is speaking about here, there was not a time he ever led or encouraged Nigerians to oppose it,” Sowore added.

Sowore also called out Obi for his inability to initiate any meaningful action within his movement since its inception, accusing him of using the struggles of others for personal gain without taking any substantial steps to challenge systemic injustice. “Since the establishment of his GBAJUE ‘Obidient’ movement, not once has anything been done other than inaction or gaslighting other Nigerians, especially those who rightly didn’t support his political ambition/agenda,” Sowore noted. He claimed that Obi’s movement aimed to replace a corrupt set of politicians with his own “anointed set of corrupt opportunists,” some of whom have now returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Drawing a parallel to the #EndSARS movement, Sowore warned that Obi, like other politicians, was hoping to benefit from the “sweat and blood of others” without lifting a finger to challenge the injustice faced by ordinary Nigerians. “Like #EndSARS, he, Peter Obi, is hoping to benefit from the sweat and blood of others without a finger raised to challenge injustice even against his own ‘Obidient’ movement members. OPPORTUNISTS!” Sowore concluded.

Jegede Kehinde, the Lagos State Secretary of the African Action Congress (AAC), took to his social media handle on Wednesday to criticize the political leaders who have held power in Lagos for over two decades, condemning them for poor leadership and their failure to meet the needs of the people.

He urged residents to stop supporting these politicians, whom he said have failed to provide basic services such as security, healthcare, and quality education.

“You should be angry enough to stop supporting your enemies,” Kehinde began in his passionate address. “You should be annoyed enough to stop singing praise of your slave master.”

He further admonished the support for leaders who, according to him, have failed to deliver on key responsibilities such as safety, education, and healthcare.

“You should be angry enough to stop supporting someone who couldn’t provide security, health care, sound education,” he stated. “Nothing should make you to support people that remove subsidies from every essential service you should have enjoy as a citizen.”

The AAC secretary also urged voters to break away from tribal sentiment when making political choices, advocating instead for issue-based support.

“Stop deceiving yourselves in the name of tribe. Go for persons that care about you,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Kehinde took a direct swipe at the current political establishment in Lagos, saying: “Stop supporting a wasteful 25 years officeholders in the State.”