Sowore Demands Apology and Compensation from Nigerian Government
Presidential hopeful Omoyele Sowore, representing the African Action Congress (AAC), has called for an apology from the Nigerian government following his arrest and detention in 2019. Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, Sowore expressed his belief that the government owed him an apology for the ordeal he endured. He stated, “This should have come forward with an apology first, not that I’m demanding it. I deserve an apology.”
Sowore emphasized that he was not solely interested in an apology, but rather in seeking compensation from the government. He asserted his intention to pursue compensation through legal means, stating, “I will extract compensation from them in jurisdiction that they have no power to affect a decision like this.”
The Nigerian government had previously charged Sowore with treason for his involvement in calling for a revolution against then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. However, the government recently discontinued the case against him, leading to Sowore’s release on bail. Despite being released, Sowore was unable to leave the country due to bail conditions.
Reflecting on the events leading up to his arrest, Sowore highlighted that his call for revolution aimed at achieving a complete system change in Nigeria. He noted that this goal was often misunderstood, clarifying, “I actually was calling for revolution, and I never denied it. There’s only one form of revolution – a change that has never been seen before.”
He further added, “In the life of any country, that’s what I was calling for. And I told the DSS (Department of State Services) guys the same thing when I was interrogated.” Sowore’s call for revolution sparked significant interest among Nigerians, with five million people searching for the word ‘revolution’ on Google on August 5, 2019.
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