Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has vehemently contested the legitimacy of the 2023 general elections that led to the election of President Bola Tinubu, asserting that the election did not reflect the will of the Nigerian people. In an interview on VOP TV’s YouTube channel, Sowore addressed remarks made by Felix Morka, the publicity secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who had warned Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, for criticizing the Tinubu administration.
Morka had admonished Obi for his criticism of the government’s handling of Nigeria’s worsening political, economic, security, and healthcare conditions. Obi had claimed that the government’s assertions of progress were out of touch with the reality Nigerians face. Sowore, in his response, argued that only leaders who were “selected against the will of the people” resort to defensive measures when faced with criticism.
Sowore continued to claim that Tinubu’s election was not a true reflection of the people’s will. He stated, “Tinubu wasn’t elected by the Nigerian people; he was selected by INEC. It was votes allocation, everybody understood that, so when they get there, they will be defensive because they know that they don’t have legitimacy.”
He further emphasized that legitimate leaders should not be threatened by criticism, suggesting that leaders confident in their mandate would address concerns constructively rather than resorting to insults. “If you are legitimately the leader of the people and you are working for the people, why will you be worried that the people are criticizing you?” Sowore argued.
Sowore also criticized what he termed “defensive leadership,” alleging that leaders who were not genuinely elected often responded to criticisms with insults instead of solutions. He added, “Firstly, their accession to power is compromised. Second, they have nothing to offer other than insult. That’s why you see a president of a country is more interested in hiring people who know how to insult as supposed to people who know how to solve problems.”