Yoruba nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has launched a stinging rebuke of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore after the latter described his political stance as “amala politics”, a colloquial term implying opportunistic, interest-driven engagement, dismissing the charge as an inconsequential rant unworthy of public attention.
The row erupted following a viral video in which Sowore criticised certain regional activists for allegedly aligning with political figures for personal gain, appearing to allude to Igboho and suggesting that his recent political posture, including backing President Bola Tinubu’s possible 2027 re-election, reflected opportunistic engagement rather than principled activism.
Sowore was blunt in his characterisation. “As per Igboho, who I don’t know too well, I have always stated that their own brand of politics is what I call Amala politics in Oyo State — it’s politics of ‘chop I chop,'” he said. He also drew a sharp contrast between Igboho and detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, alleging that both men had been offered similar terms by the Tinubu administration but that Kanu, unlike Igboho, had refused. “If Kanu were like Sunday Igboho, he would be campaigning for President Tinubu in the Southeast now,” Sowore claimed. He also warned that Igboho risked ending up politically disgraced, comparing him to historical figures who staked their credibility on leaders who later became irrelevant.
Igboho rejected every strand of the attack. In a statement issued by his media aide, Olayomi Koiki, in Ibadan, Igboho argued that his agitation for improved security in the South-West and his support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027 were constitutional rights aimed at promoting the collective interests of the Yoruba people and the development of Nigeria.
“We strongly reject the notion that our agitation is transactional. This narrow characterisation misrepresents our focus on effective grassroots security across the South-West and the country,” the statement read.
Igboho also went on the offensive against Sowore personally. The statement challenged Sowore on his record during Igboho’s own period of hardship, asking pointedly: “How many protests did Sowore organise to push for my freedom?” It further alleged that Sowore’s claim of fighting for the masses contradicted his reported daily lodging expenses of N450,000 at a popular Lagos hotel.
Igboho also declared that he could not be compelled to endorse presidential aspirants Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, or align with Sowore’s own political platform. “I have the right to make independent political decisions based on the security and collective interests of the Yoruba people,” he said.
The statement also turned the security argument back on Sowore. Koiki challenged Sowore to assess the worsening security situation in his own home state of Ondo — citing rising banditry, kidnappings, and attacks on rural communities and pointed to recent explosions in Maiduguri on March 16 as evidence of the limitations of nationwide revolutionary advocacy as a practical security strategy. “These realities reinforce Igboho’s long-standing call since 2020 for localised security measures and stronger regional protection strategies. Labelling our agitation and efforts as ‘amala politics’ undermines the urgency of the security crisis and the legitimacy of grassroots agitation,” the statement concluded.
The public spat reflects deepening fault lines among activists and agitators in the South-West as the 2027 electoral cycle gathers pace, with sharp disagreements emerging over whether engagement with the Tinubu administration represents pragmatism or a betrayal of activist principles.