Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and former presidential candidate in Nigeria, has stated that evolution will be impactful in Nigeria if “a huge number of people can convince themselves that it is time to move and they move together.”
Sowore stated this when he appeared in a podcast held by Glitch Africa Studios.
The former presidential candidate under the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC) added that Igbo people, predominantly from the Southeastern region of Nigeria are at a political disadvantage.
He said, “I do believe that there is nothing that is right in the country that will make it possible for a just and fair situation to arise in this country. It is not just about me alone. We have reached a level that if everybody decides to vote for me. Somebody will rewrite the result to favour the person who may not have participated in the election. They will announce it and nothing will happen.
“They will tell you, go to court but don’t forget they are the ones who just appointed 11 justice into the Supreme Court.
I am not going to sit here and tell you that there will be a total liberation without a fight. Even protests, they shoot at people. But what makes a revolution sweet is the number introduced to it. If a huge number of people can convince themselves that it is time to move and they move together. You will have limited casualties because people who want to kill you will be outnumbered. That is why revolution is very popular and sweet. But to say that days after we will not count some casualties, including some of ourselves.
“Nigerian problem is foundational to a large extent. Nigeria has two major problems, one is foundational, the other is institutional. The foundational started first. You must look at what is the foundation of Nigerian police. It was founded to protect the business called Nigeria, not the people. They were not created to protect the people. They were created to protect their oppressors.”
Speaking on the Igbo debate, Sowore said, “Nigeria has an Igbo problem. And I am not saying this to please people known as Igbo. But the moment they decided to take the action they took in 1967 to 1970: the war. Nigeria, having won the war, never forgave the Igbo. That is the reality.
“If I was the president of Nigeria today, the first thing I would do is to head to the South-East and apologise to them for the war, part of it is that I did not participate in it and I cannot continue to fight a war that I did not engage in. And asked them (Igbo People) what do they want?”
“There is a secret memo, I don’t know where it is located, that whenever we want to take charge of this country. Be careful of the Igbo. Don’t give them position. Don’t give them opportunity. Otherwise they would overrun you.
“It is a well known fact, even our parents tell us. Some of them even said it unconsciously. They even said it on radio shows. So don’t let us lie to ourselves, except we bring this out openly. It is a taboo that we have refused to discuss.”
“It is the reason why the Federal Government of Nigeria feels that in 2024 detaining Nnamdi Kanu against all the court rulings is the only way to go,” Sowore added.