Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has said he would work with Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, if he becomes president, describing him as more intelligent than many politicians currently being presented to Nigerians.
Sowore made the statement during an interview on Naija Unfiltered, where he discussed his ongoing court case, the Tinubu administration, insecurity, the economy, corruption allegations and the 2027 elections.
Speaking about Adebayo, Sowore said although they occupy different ideological positions, they share common ground on several national issues.
He described himself as being on the extreme left of politics, while Adebayo is more moderate, adding that their different political trajectories could still lead to the same destination.
“When I become president, we would run a collegiate presidency. When I’m asleep, he’ll be running the country. When I’m awake…” Sowore said, while clarifying that he would remain president and Commander-in-Chief.
He praised Adebayo’s intellectual capacity, saying he was “better than all these people you are parading,” but noted that they differ on political alliances. According to Sowore, while Adebayo may believe some members of the political establishment can be redeemed, his own objective is to dismantle what he called the “old order.”
Sowore also rejected the argument that opposition parties must form a broad coalition to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, saying the real electoral force lies in millions of registered voters who have become politically disengaged.
He claimed that only about 25 per cent of registered voters participate in elections and argued that mobilising the millions outside the electoral process could determine the outcome of the 2027 election.
Assessing Tinubu’s administration, Sowore declared that “Tinubu came to fail,” arguing that the President was never competent to manage Nigeria’s affairs.
He criticised the government’s handling of insecurity, poverty and the economy, insisting that GDP growth and other economic indicators mean little if Nigerians cannot afford food, secure jobs, access electricity and enjoy a decent quality of life.
Sowore also criticised comments attributed to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu encouraging Nigerians to engage in small businesses such as akara, kuli-kuli and roasted corn. He argued that government should instead create an enabling environment, including reliable electricity and infrastructure, for Nigerians to build sustainable businesses.
He also dismissed a statement attributed to presidential aide Daniel Bwala that a Nigerian earning ₦60,000 could enjoy a better quality of life than someone earning £2,600 in the UK, challenging Bwala to live on Nigeria’s minimum wage.
On insecurity, Sowore proposed better-equipped and better-paid security personnel, improved intelligence gathering and modern surveillance technology, including military-grade drones. He also linked insecurity to unemployment and poverty, arguing that Nigeria cannot defeat crime without addressing its economic roots.
On electricity, he proposed decentralising the national grid and developing a diversified energy mix, including solar power. He claimed his administration could generate between 30,000MW and 40,000MW within four years.
Sowore also criticised the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, calling for better planning, environmental assessments and integration with a wider national transport network.
On his ongoing cybercrime case, Sowore described it as political persecution, accusing the government of using the courts and security agencies to restrict his freedom and silence opposition.
He also spoke about the arrest of journalist Zainab Sodik over a drone-related matter, alleging that her detention was connected to his own legal troubles and claiming that her phones remained in DSS custody.
Sowore further criticised the government’s handling of corruption allegations, including those surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), calling for transparent investigations.
He accused the Tinubu administration of crossing “every line of decency” through what he described as political repression, human rights violations and impunity.
Despite his rejection of conventional political alliances, Sowore maintained that he was confident of defeating Tinubu in 2027 if Nigerians mobilise and participate actively in the election.
He said his ultimate goal was to dismantle Nigeria’s entrenched political order and replace it with a fundamentally different system of governance.
