DG of SOWORE 2019 UPDATE: THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES – A NEW NIGERIA IS STILL POSSIBLE

DG of SOWORE 2019 UPDATE: THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES – A NEW NIGERIA IS STILL POSSIBLE

The Presidential vote count is finally over. Although we fell short of our goal of placing a committed and courageous leader at the helm of affairs in Nigeria, there is much that we can be proud of.

Omoyele Sowore ran a long, hard campaign that captured the hearts and minds of Nigerians. We created a movement and established a political party within a year. We recruited candidates to run for over 150 positions from the Presidency through to gubernatorial, senate, House of Representatives, state house of assembly, local government chairmanship to local councillorship positions.

We introduced the concept of town halls to Nigerian politics – where candidates engage the electorate in intimate settings that allow for deeper interaction. Our disruptive and innovative approaches to campaigning helped to force the introduction of Town Hall sessions to the national stage – culminating with The Candidates forum featuring just four selected parties. With your help, we raised about N150 million – with donations that ranged from N50 to N1 million, demonstrating that a politics devoid of godfathers and special interests is possible in Nigeria.

If elections are won based on hard work, engagement with the electorate and passion – then we would have prevailed. In the end, we were unable to overcome the establishment this time around. To begin with, there was the outright vote buying and wholesale rigging that occurred. Furthermore, we had a President who openly advocated the shooting of “ballot box snatchers” on Election Day and, as we expected, that threat of violence at the polls depressed the votes and made this the election with the lowest turnout since 1999.

In the final analysis, we did not win this time because the Nigerian people ultimately decided that they would rather choose the lesser of two evils; electing to go with the DEVIL THEY KNOW, rather than the ANGEL THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW.

While many of us might be disappointed that the elections ultimately came down to this false choice between the APC and PDP, we must listen to what the Nigerian people are saying. Their votes for Atiku and Buhari were cast reluctantly. Despite the billions of naira spent on these elections by the APC and PDP, only 27 million people voted, a paltry 32% of the total number of registered voters. The overwhelming majority chose NOT to participate.

THERE ARE TWO LESSONS THAT WE MUST LEARN

  1. NIGERIANS MUST GET TO KNOW THE ANGELS in TIB & AAC: Since 1960, our people have experienced cycles of hope followed by massive disappointment. Leaders have made promises during election cycles and they have failed to deliver. The restoration of democracy has brought nothing but economic misery and growing insecurity. No matter who has been elected – from Obasanjo, Yar’adua, Jonathan and then Buhari – nothing seems to have changed. It is therefore understandable that cynicism would set in. When a people lose faith in the expectation that changing leaders will improve their lives, they settle for the familiar. They choose the lesser of two evils. They go with the “Devil they know” rather than the angels that they do not. Our task is to ensure that by 2023, every Nigerian would have been touched by the activities and actions of the TakeitBack movement and the African Action Congress. They must have seen our impact in their lives. We must roll up our sleeves and engage. We must help shore up our schools, organise medical missions to various communities, develop policies and push for bills to be passed at state and national legislative bodies. We must call out corruption wherever it occurs and lead the Nigerian people to demand their rights in the courts and in the streets. We must practice what we preach! If we do all these things, and remain true to our mission, the Nigerian people will see us as partners who are in this fight for the long run – not just opportunists looking for votes. When they have seen us work to improve their lives in their own communities, they will trust us to do so at the national level.
  2. WE MUST STRENGTHEN OUR REACH AT THE GRASSROOTS: Although we have a commendable geographical spread, our movement and party will need to extend our reach to the grass roots. We must be present in every ward and in each of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria. Our members must be in every one of the 120,000 polling units in the nation. We must have active chapters in every tertiary institution. Our engagement in churches and mosques, market squares and community centres must continue. It is how well and how deeply we engage when there are no elections that will determine our reach and acceptance.

MARCHING FORWARD – MARCH 9th and BEYOND

Over the next few weeks we will be engaging with all of you in a series of conferences, meetings, town hall sessions – virtually and in person – to chart a way forward. However, in the short term, we still have elections to win, and we must remain focused on them.

On March 9th, we have 96 Candidates that will be running for various offices at the state level – 20 for Governor & Deputy Governor, and 76 for various State House of Assembly seats. They need our support, now more than ever. We cannot and MUST NOT abandon them.

Sowore will be holding sessions on the couch on Thursday February 28th, and on March 7th and 8th to help raise funds for the candidates. They have campaigns to run and agents to support. They need resources and encouragement. Let us continue to support them financially.

Funds donated to the party account from now through March 8th, will be allocated to the candidates. Anyone interested in making donations to candidates, can find a list of Gubernatorial candidates here:
https://aacparty.com/gubernatorial-candidates/
and state house of assembly candidates here:
https://aacparty.com/state-house-of-assembly-candidates/

Donations to the party should be made to:

AFRICAN ACTION CONGRESS
Zenith Bank
Account Number 1015977493

CONCLUSION

It was my great honour and privilege to serve as the Director General for the Sowore 2019 campaign and I want to thank all of you for your impassioned support for our great candidate, Omoyele Sowore. He is the leader Nigeria needs and we are fortunate to have him at the head of our movement and party.

Aluta Continua. Victoria Acerta – The Struggle continues. Victory is certain!!

Dr Malcolm Fabiyi
DG, TakeItBack Movement
Deputy National Chairman (Admin), AAC Party

Omoyele Sowore with Femi and Yeni Kuti; At the New Afrika Shrine.

Omoyele Sowore with Femi and Yeni Kuti; At the New Afrika Shrine.

Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, was at the NEW AFRIKA SHRINE with Femi and Yeni Kuti, the children of the great Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the musical taliban and an ardent Pan-Africanist.
The celebration at the shrine last night was lit and filled with absolute fun and communal spirit of love for Africa and show of patriotism for Nigeria.
Femi and Yeni Kuti had some wonderful time on the couch at the New Afrika Shrine with Omoyele Sowore.


During the conversation, Femi talked about the poor situation of the Nigerian health system and how it is probable that even President Buhari could not boast of his safety at the presidential villa, Aso Rock.


He was quoted saying “Buhari does not trust his own life in Aso Rock”.
While the discussion was ongoing, Yeni scornfully pointed out to viewers that Atiku Abubakar, without remorse, vouch to sell NNPC to private individuals, his friends in particular.He said, during one of his interviews that he would enrich his friends.Replying an interviewer, Atiku was quoted saying rethorically “Are my friends not entitled to be rich?”.


Meanwhile, Femi while talking about the poor state of the Nigerian health institution, related a story of what ensued at the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital, LUTH in Idi-Araba, Mushin Loca Government Area.

He talked about the situation at the hospital at Fela’s death, how there was no space in the morgue to store the corpse of the Afrobeat and revolutionary icon prior his burial.He recounted that there were so many corpses on the floor in the morgue and there was no place to put Fela, the personnels in charge had to pull out a corpse from the freezer in replacement for Fela’s corpse, in respect of him.
Femi described the incident as infuriating, but he was disgusted and flabbergasted, so he could not say nor do anything about it.
This reminds us of one of Fela’s best songs titled “CONFUSION BREAK BONE” with the chorus “DEAD BODY GET ACCIDENT”. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Femi and Yeni Kuti also raised concerns about the African culture, especially how a lot of Africans are living with a colonial mentality and how so many white men and women make jest of Africans for being inferior and glorifying other people’s cultures above theirs.
Femi recalled a condescending event that took place in a certain white country while he was traveling back to Nigeria sometime ago. He recounted that some white women were mocking some black women for wearing artificial hair all in the bid to look white. I was not happy with what i witnessed, i noticed it, but i don’t think the black women noticed it, he said.
The Afrobeat musician said, if he would endorse any candidate for the presidency, it would be Omoyele Sowore.
The general elections is scheduled to hold this Saturday, we therefore urge Nigerians to not only vote, but to vote the right candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and not limit our options to the devil and the deep blue sea.
It Is Time To Take Our Country Back, with Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, AAC.

Buhari and Atiku APC/PDP; Two Sides Of The Same Coin; Omoyele Sowore’s AAC, The Only Alternative For A Better Nigeria.

Buhari and Atiku APC/PDP; Two Sides Of The Same Coin; Omoyele Sowore’s AAC, The Only Alternative For A Better Nigeria.

Amidst the rumbles of the upcoming 2019 general elections, in the hope of electing a new President for the most populous country in Africa and the 7th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of

200,962,417 and a yearly change of 2.60 percent [ according to worldometers ]. Nigerians all over the world [ including the international community] are very much concerned with the outcome of the upcoming general elections on Saturday, the 16th of February, this year.
Meanwhile, The Guardian Newspaper, London, published a very interesting article on Monday, the 11th of February, 2019. The article read thus;


Nigeria’s 84 million voters will go to the polls next weekend to give their verdict on Muhammadu Buhari. The country is Africa’s most populous, and by some measures has the largest economy on the continent. Nigeria celebrated Mr Buhari’s election in 2015 as not only a resounding rejection of the unpopular Goodluck Jonathan but also the first democratic transition since the return of civilian rule in 1999.

Unfortunately, the highlight of Mr Buhari’s presidency appears to have been the gaining of it. The economy struggles, and his pledges to curb rampant corruption have been applied to political opponents. Insecurity remains a pressing issue: notably, Boko Haram appears to be resurging despite the government’s repeated assurances that it has beaten the extremist group, and a spreading herder-farmer conflict has killed thousands. The president’s extended absence overseas, for medical treatment, prompted such persistent rumours of his death and replacement by a body double that he felt obliged to tell voters: “It’s the real me, I assure you.”

A country with a median age of 18 faces, it would appear, an uninspiring choice between two septuagenarian political veterans. The slate of candidates is lengthy – helped by a 2018 reform which lowered the age limit for presidential candidates to 35 from 40. But the only serious rival to Mr Buhari and his All Progressives Congress party is the business tycoon and former vice-president Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic party. Both men are Fulani Muslims from the north, and have chosen running mates from the south. Mr Buhari headed the military junta in the 1980s and now describes himself as a “converted democrat”. But Mr Abubakar has won the backing of an influential bloc including former military heads of state. Supporters portray him as an energetic contrast to the ineffective incumbent; opponents highlight corruption allegations, including a 2010 US Senate report which said that he and one of his wives had wired $40m of “suspect funds” into American accounts. Mr Abubakar denies the claims.- The Guardian UK, Monday, 11th February, 2019.

While it is obvious that neither of the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party is capable of making Nigeria a nation to be proud of in the league of developed nations.

Omoyele Sowore, of the African Action Congress, AAC is the only Presidential candidate among all, that is prepared and determined to make Nigeria the true giant of Africa and a country to be reckoned with in the world, especially in the United Nations and among developed countries of the world.

AAC; TAKE IT BACK!!!

SOWORE CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO INEC’S POSTPONEMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

SOWORE CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO INEC’S POSTPONEMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Nigerians awoke to a familiar nightmare – the sudden cancellation of elections that both the government and its electoral agencies had four years to prepare for. The failure to successfully hold elections whose dates were known four years in advance, speaks to the complete ineptitude and lack of transparency of the Buhari regime.

We have seen this script before. In 2011 and 2015, our electoral process was similarly thrown into chaos by last-minute shifts in the election dates under the Jonathan-led PDP government. By repeating the same failures, Buhari’s APC government has now demonstrated to Nigerians that there is no difference in values between itself and the former PDP administration. This is yet another example of the fact that the two establishment parties, APC and PDP, are both two sides of the same bad coin.

Nigerians must not become numb to this travesty. No one would tolerate such ineptitude in their own personal affairs. Millions of Nigerians travelled to ensure that they were in place to participate in the elections. Businesses and commercial activities have been disrupted, and the sacrifices of tens of millions of Nigerians who had readied themselves to go to the polls and effect a positive change in the trajectory of the nation has been dashed – albeit temporarily.

The complicity of Buhari’s APC government in this last minute shift in the electoral process is clear for all to see. If this administration had no hand in this callous postponement, their condemnation would have been swift and their denunciation of INEC’s actions would have been screamed from every mountain top. The APC was quick to denounce similar actions taken by the Jonathan-led PDP administration in 2015. Their silence on this occasion is deafening.

The African Action Congress, our presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the Nigerian people are not deterred. Positive change and true transformation is coming to Nigeria, and whether it happens on the 16th or the 23rd of February, it will happen. We ask all of our supporters and party members to stay the course, reenergise their engagements in their communities, and help to ensure an even bigger turnout for freedom next week.

Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi
DG, Sowore 2019 Campaign.

Confronting the Difficult Questions: The Politics of Real Engagements

Confronting the Difficult Questions: The Politics of Real Engagements

‘We have come to see everything that is wrong with Nigeria so that we can fix it’ – Omoyele Sowore on visiting the poor along Agege Railroad.

Although the reception of about nine months crusade of Omoyele Sowore’s Take It Back political revolution now poised for a run on the new AAC platform continues to soar and exceed imaginations, there still remain small pockets of dismissals or misevaluation of his efforts, and others bunching him into the stench of the usual.

Certainly, repeated national failures, including poverty, continue to instruct the conception of the present and projections into the future by majority of Nigerians, giving rise to a numb and parochial national space. But more worrisome and perceivable everywhere is a passively muttered belief that all politicians are the same and that hope is currently an unaffordable luxury in a country like ours.

While all these escapist mental positions and coping strategies are certainly no solution to the problems we are confronted with as a people, they continue to stand in the way all political aspirations are interpreted and absorbed. One may then ask; are there grounds to seek any difference in what Omoyele Sowore’s political philosophy represents, the future it could possibly engender, looking at the implications of his crusades, metaphorically and literally?

To answer this valid question, one may seek lighthouses in his political efforts and find his unflinching will to confront difficult questions beaming through the spread of his town hall meetings that has remained archives of bold national discourse and engagements. But beyond the fact that such engagements are pioneered by his political audacity, there are a number of important examples of his engagements with the nation space that exceed the usual.

A pause to consider his revealing visit to Bakassi IDP camp, the rot it uncovers which spans from lack of basic amenities to a pathetic and yet very small pen of pigs as alternative livelihood, makes pain a raw bite and grating illumination to attentive minds.  More so, it is very important to note that on visiting this misery that is the IDP camp, Sowore had said; today I am more convinced Nigeria needs to be taken back from the bad leaders. There are times during the visit that he welled up with compassion and blurted out with renewed conviction that the leaders of this country are wicked. At another time he said, he is moved to tears but he will not cry least someone thinks he is playing politics with his tears.There, at the camp, he muttered he saw hopelessness on the faces of the children and on the faces of the adults he saw misery, while the optics of the visit remains a jarring one, provoking just one lingering word, abandoned.

Yet, there are issues this political endeavor also brings to bare, issues that no longer have space in our unbridled political arena, where interest are often corrosively selfish and rarely noble, and more importantly, this visit allows us to ask important question, for example – running through the video – one may ask, should this fate remain the lots of anyone whose land and heritage were lost to another country, not by choice or accident, but after a concession by their home country?

Could this kind of government rot show what worth the Nigerian government placed on her people? What does it mean that Sowore, a presidential candidate visited these people? Was there such thoughtful stop before now by vote seeking politicians and are there nerves or compassionate chords strummed in such previous event? Obviously, the deplorable site shows the population are merely numbered and lumped within the usually despised Nigerian communities by the political elites, and we are often numbed at sites like this and are barely provoked into compelling actions?

Engaging the people, Sowore carried one of their babies, kissed him/her and promised to ensure he/she is always fed. He also said he will help to bury the dead. But to ask further questions; is it right to reduce all these to mere political gimmick giving the background that no other politician interrogates a rot as bare as this, and if all the gazes of the people remain a prayer, can Sowore bring them their desired life in spite of their losses should he become the preside or should this provoke conscientious supports from empathetic Nigerians for Sowore’s political agenda since he is the one paying attention to these kind of issues and carrying such burden forward towards a political re-engineering?

On gleaning through those beaming eyes, I believe it is not out of place to believe the gazes of these men, women and children, though fastened on Sowore, are prayers pleading with all of us who can vote and influence political space to disrupt the status quo for the emergence of the one that will indeed respect all lives no matter where on the social ladder they belong.

We must all be awakened to the truth that says how our country treats the least of us is the value of what she truly thinks of all of us no matter what tier of life we steers. We must never forget the pain of this reality and make it a compass for our political choices. We decide.  

AAC Voters Education

AAC Voters Education

What are the Polling Hours?

On each Election Day, polling stations will open for Accreditation and Voting from 8:00am to 2.00pm. However, voters on the queue before the close of poll at 2:00pm will be accredited and allowed to vote.
IMPORTANT: No person will be allowed to vote at a polling unit other than the one where he/she registered and got accredited.

Can I Bring My Phone to the Polling Unit?

Yes, you can use your phone to capture results and every proceedings but your phones are only prohibited in the polling booth.

What is the Voting Procedure?

Voting at the polling unit will be as follows: At the polling unit, join the queue. An INEC official will check if you are at the correct polling unit and confirm that the PVC presented belongs to you.
An INEC official will confirm if your PVC is genuine using the card reader. You will be asked to place your finger on the card reader.
An INEC official will ask for your PVC and confirm you are listed in the Voters Register. Your name will be ticked and your finger will be inked to confirm you have voted. If your name is not found you cannot vote.
The Presiding officer will stamp, sign and endorse your ballot paper. You will be given the ballot paper rolled with the printed side inwards and directed to the voting cubicle.
Stain your finger with the ink given and mark the box for your preferred candidate/party. Roll the ballot paper in the manner you were given and flatten it.
Leave the voting cubicle and drop the ballot paper in the ballot box in full view of people at the Polling Unit.
Leave the Polling Unit or wait if you so choose, in an orderly and peaceful manner, to watch the process up to declaration of result.
N.B The result of each Polling Unit shall be pasted at the unit for everyone to see.
IMPORTANT: A voter living with a disability will be assisted to vote in the polling unit by a person chosen by him/her, other than a poll agent. Where available, visually impaired voters may use Assistive Tactile facilities.

How do I report “Vote Buying” and other Election Offences?
Report election offences to the INEC situation room on election day. The number to reach the situation room will be communicated to the public before the election day.

Report election offences to the AAC party situation room on election day. The number to reach the situation room are +2349054176262
+2349075080891


Sowore Challenges Social Media Users; ‘You have to drop your devices and get on your feet.’

Sowore Challenges Social Media Users; ‘You have to drop your devices and get on your feet.’

By Sename Kojah

The call was made by Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore while speaking on the “Holding Government Accountable” panel at the Social Media Week which held at The Landmark Event Center, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Young Nigerians have been asked to move from holding people in positions of authority to account on social media alone and drop their devices, get on their feet and save the country.

Sowore who is also founder of Sahara Reporters, a citizen journalism outfit, said ” I can tell you that nothing has worked as much as social media in Nigeria in terms of holding government accountable because it is beyond their reach; it is accountability beyond borders but I have to say that it has its own downside to the extent that if you think social media has all the power and you don’t do what is necessary next, government starts to adjust to social media, and so you must move from just revealing everything and holding them accountable. For you to have the best result, you have to drop your devices and get on your feet, and that was why social media was powerful in Egypt but until the Egyptians dropped their devices, they couldn’t have the Arab Spring”.

Sowore called on young people to work hard by ensuring that they get their PVC’s, vote and monitor the process around the election to ensure that there is an “Equatorial Spring” in Nigeria that will usher in a new era of politics in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He encouraged, “a new generation of Nigerians who are children of democracy. They are the secret to defeating the old brigands. The thing that happened with voters is a planned thing; they knew there are 22 million students who are voters, they had to keep you out of your school because they know that you are the angriest Nigerians and you are about to punish them with your vote regardless of what they have done to you. Please find your way to your polling unit and vote these guys out”.

AAC RALLY IN IKORODU, LAGOS.

AAC RALLY IN IKORODU, LAGOS.

Omoyele Sowore, Oluwaseun Ajireloja, and Francis Shonubi [Mani Congo] rallies with Nigerians in Lagos!

Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Mr. Oluwaseun Ajireloja, the gubernatorial candidate and the Lagos East senatorial candidate of the party, Mr. Francis Shonubi and other party loyalists were present at the rally in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state on Wednesday the 6th of February 2019.

The party through the Presidential candidate reiterated to Nigerians its plans for the spontaneous development of the country if elected into office.

The party was warmly welcomed in Ikorodu by some royalties and their chiefs.
Many Nigerians who have been admirers of the AAC Presidential candidate voluntarily followed the party members all around Ikorodu in excitement.
This event took place less than 48 hours after the party held the most organic mass-filled political campaign in Nigeria since the country became a republic in the year 1963.

As the February 16th 2019 general elections draw near, millions of Nigerians yearn for a genuine change not just of those in government but also for the failed system of governance, especially the Nigerian constitution which harbors a vacuum to protect corrupt government officials and politicians and also restrict citizens from holding corrupt responsible for their ineptitude.

The Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress who have being in the Nigerian political space for about thirty years as an activist and an investigative journalist who has been fighting for democracy and good governance and the eradication of corrupt politicians from our political sphere have been proven by antecedent to  be the only credible candidate worthy to be the next President of Nigeria by June 12th 2019 when the democratically elected President would be sworn into office after the February 16th general elections in less than two weeks from now.

SOWORE’S AAC URGES NIGERIANS TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY AS 6 UNLAWFULLY ARRESTED FOR PASTING POSTERS REAPPEAR IN COURT

SOWORE’S AAC URGES NIGERIANS TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY AS 6 UNLAWFULLY ARRESTED FOR PASTING POSTERS REAPPEAR IN COURT

On Sunday, 9th December, 2018, six members of the African Action Congress party were unlawfully arrested during the early hours for pasting posters in Lagos State. The arresting officers went through several charges before settling on the charge of defacing public property, accusing them of vandalising posters belonging to Jimi Agbaje, the PDP Lagos state gubernatorial candidate.

Our supporters have been steadfast in their defence that they did no such thing; maintaining that they were arrested only with Sowore’s posters, brushes and adhesive paste.

At the time, the arrest, which led to a three-day detention including two days in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison for pasting posters, was the latest in a long line of persistent attacks on the AAC. The party would later deal with exclusion from the national debate and a poorly orchestrated smear campaign.

We have fought every semblance of injustice and oppression that has come our way since the beginning of this campaign, and will continue to do so, this court case included.

It is unconscionable that the APC and PDP would rather sink to these depths than spend their time proving to Nigerians that they are worthy candidates to govern the land. That they would rather squander the freedom of six innocent young men than do the right thing – make plans for this nation and then keep their promises.

We urge Nigerians not to fall for these cheap tactics and to instead focus on the prize: a Nigeria that works for us all, regardless of tribe, religion, income level or political alliance.

On Monday, 4th February, 2019, the AAC will go to court and once again stare injustice in the face in the case of six young men arrested for pasting posters in Lagos state. Regardless of their political affiliations, it is our hope that every Nigerian will be rightfully outraged by this case.

We specifically ask that ALL of our supporters use the picture of the AAC 6 as their profile picture in a united, worldwide show of solidarity. We must support our own and let the old cabals know that we are not for bowing or breaking. This is the only way that Nigeria can progress – calling out injustice wherever one finds it – and Nigeria MUST progress.

Rachel Onamusi-Kpiasi
Director, PR, Media and Communications
Sowore 2019 Campaign/African Action Congress

SOWORE IS THE ANSWER TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS: VERDICT FROM “THE CANDIDATES” TOWN HALL SESSIONS

SOWORE IS THE ANSWER TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS: VERDICT FROM “THE CANDIDATES” TOWN HALL SESSIONS

The Candidates – the presidential town hall co-production between NTA, Daria Media and the MacArthur foundation, drew to a close last night following Atiku’s appearance with his vice-president, Peter Obi. If it is fair to say that a leader’s true worth shines forth under pressure, then we can state categorically that there was one winner from the series and that was Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress.

Although Buhari and Atiku have artfully dodged a frontal debate with Sowore, The Candidates placed all the candidates on the same platform, with the same interviewer. And for 2 hours, Nigerians had the opportunity to hear the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the four leading political parties in the country talk about their plans and programs for Nigeria, as well as answer questions about their past. The town hall series was revealing. Nigerians have now had an opportunity to weigh their candidates for the highest offices in the land.

Buhari demonstrated a worrying cluelessness about many of the goings on in the country. He frequently had to be prompted by his Vice President, as he failed to hear or comprehend most of the questions asked. Buhari seemed neither mentally present nor interested in Nigeria. The APC has no ideas for how to steer Nigeria away from the crippling problems of insecurity, power sector failures, growing unemployment, farmer-herdsmen conflicts and lack of affordable healthcare access that continues to plague Nigeria. One could almost be moved to sympathy for Buhari after his catatonic performance, if it weren’t for the vicious wickedness that is the intention of foisting a second term that would extend and double our misery, on Nigerians.

Kingsley Moghalu and his running mate demonstrated that their ideas were as dated as those of the establishment they seek to replace. There were no bold plans to create jobs or to light up NIGERIA. There were no clear policy positions on how to address the challenges of insecurity and corruption. The town hall session also revealed the glaring lack of preparation of his vice presidential candidate. Suffice to say that his policies and heavy reliance on his previous stint as the deputy governor – a position that makes him complicit and responsible for a lot of the financial rot that Nigeria faces today – reveal him as being part and parcel of the establishment.

Atiku and Obi proved yesterday, that all of our fears that electing the PDP would simply replace one layer of corruption with another more complex and pernicious one, were true. Atiku could not satisfactorily explain his part ownership of a company that did extensive business with the Ports Authority when he was still in the Nigerian Customs service. He could not explain the money laundering indictments and allegations made by the US Senate Homeland Security Committee. Peter Obi squirmed and faltered as he attempted to convince Nigerians that he was doing Anambra state a favour when he invested billions of the state’s money in a venture in which his family’s NEXT International Nigeria, was a major shareholder. It is now clear that Atiku and Peter Obi complement themselves well. They are two vultures with the same corrupt feathers. They had no clear plans for any of Nigeria’s most pressing issues. They were clear on one point though – they were willing to offer amnesty to all corrupt persons.

We are thankful that despite the attempts to prevent Nigerians from seeing and contrasting Sowore with Buhari, Atiku and others on the national stage, the NTA – Daria Media Town Hall series provided objective points of contrast. Sowore demonstrated a masterful grasp of Nigeria’s issues. He showed amazing clarity in his vision for the country. Nigerians were able to learn first-hand that Sowore has been involved in the fight to move Nigeria forward for 30 years. Nigerians saw the courage of his plans and the strength of his conviction. Nigerians were reminded that he is the only candidate that committed to increasing power by 17,000 MW, doubling Nigeria’s road network from 200,000 km to 400,000 km, boosting our rail system from 3,700 km to 8,000 km, creating 5 million new jobs, paying workers a living wage of 100,000 Naira and creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Nigerians also got to see that in Dr Rabiu Rufai, Sowore has a running mate who equally understands Nigeria’s challenges and has the intellect, integrity and political will to be a strong partner in the task of positively transforming Nigeria.

Nigerians now know what their options are. We have seen all of those offering themselves for the leadership of our nation. The choice is clear. There is only one team that can move Nigeria forward, and that is the Sowore-Rufai team of the African Action Congress!

Dr Malcolm Fabiyi
DG Sowore 2019 Campaign

The illuminating session of Omoyele Sowore and Dr Rabiu Rufai on The Candidates with Ahmed Kadaria