Sowore described politicians as “creative liars”, and that is why he doesn’t want to be called a politician.
Human rights activist and convener of RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has described Nigerian politicians, past and present leaders as “creative liars” who do not deserve any kind of honour or respect.
Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, said that he has vowed never to worship or respect Nigerian leaders or call them statesmen because they ruined the country.
He said, “I made a solemn commitment to myself a long time ago that I will never worship or respect those that ruined my country, that I shall not respect them or call them “statesmen” they don’t deserve honour of any kind.”
While referencing an interview he had on Lagos Talks 91.3 FM, Sowore said he had never believed in the endorsement by former presidents, former leaders, influencers and statesmen to push through his political ambition and agenda, adding that “No, we believe in endorsement of the people.”
Sowore continued, “Honestly, Nigerians have been overrating some of the so-called elder statesmen. On a principled level, I cannot imagine myself going back to the same characters that ruined this country, that put us in the situation that we are in now.
“If they say they want to endorse me, are they going to endorse me as a brand that will go back and continue your style of leadership? That is why I will not.”
According to him, “Most of them have only one vote. If you go to the people, you are bypassing a whole lot of these overrated so-called elder statesmen.
“They don’t have any constituency because their constituency is not poor. They are the ones who created poverty.
“Their constituency is not oppressed because they are the oppressors. Their constituency is the constituency of people who are holding this country to ransom. They see Nigeria as a property that they own.
“I reject that and I have always rejected that. You cannot ask me, for instance, to go back and seek the endorsement of Babangida, who I was one of the people that drove him out of power in 1993. How would I? It doesn’t make sense.
“I was more powerful than him in 1993, why would I go to him and beg for his endorsement 30 years after we chased him out of power? It doesn’t make sense engaging in reverse gear.”
“I don’t have any reason to say I believe in them. I might believe in the person because this is not war. If I go outside and we meet, we shake hands but I have always challenged them in public, whether as a presidential candidate or deputy or vice. If I see you doing what is wrong, I will say it publicly.”
Sowore described politicians as “creative liars”, and that is why he doesn’t want to be called a politician, stressing, “If you don’t have good intentions, it doesn’t matter how long you pretend”, and he didn’t want to be a pretender.
