Why I didn’t join LP, PDP, others to challenge 2023 presidential election–Sowore

Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) at the last February 25, 2023 presidential election, Omoyele Sowore has given reasons why he didn’t contest the results of the election like other candidates at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

Sowore in an exclusive interview with National Daily, said the results of the elections were already predetermined, so also was the outcome of the election petition tribunal.

It would be recalled that the 5-man panel on September 6, 2023 threw out the case of Atiku Abubukar, who is the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, and upheld the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

The five-member panel took turns to dismiss the petitions presented by Atiku and Obi against the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission on March 1, 2023.

READ ALSO: Sowore reacts to Tinubu’s ministerial nominees

The judgment was delivered by the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, assisted by other members of the panel-Justices Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.

Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, told National Daily he would not waste his time contesting a predetermined election, noting that all the people that went to court knew their reasons for going to go, but necessarily to win.

“One of the secrets about going to court by politicians is just to negotiate. Once you go to court, they will come and beg you and offer you some things like appointments, and then you will be pretending like going to court, but at the back ground, you are nominating ministers.

Speaking further, Sowore revealed that immediately after the elections, four SANs approached him, asking to file a petition against the conduct of the election, but he refused.

“Four SANs approached me and advised me to sue Tinubu, and I told them when I was arraigned for treason none of them volunteered to join my legal team, now they wanted to use me as leverage to get appointment from Tinubu.

“It is all about collecting money and getting appointments. So don’t get carried away about the court, what will save this country is getting free and fair elections, and not just for a few judges to decide the fate of over 200 million Nigerians.

READ ALSO: Sowore reacts to the outcome of the presidential election

He said the current Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman was the immediate Vice Chancellor of Baze University owned by Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

“I’m not trying to insinuate anything, but intelligent Nigerians would understand my argument that the whole exercise says a lot about the mindset of most of our politicians today.

Also reacting to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, Sowore said Kanu should have been released immediately when the current administration came onboard.

“It is obvious that the cabal in the last administration of Muhammadu Buhari has transferred the DNA of that regime to Tinubu’s regime. And every step taken by Tinubu so far has confirmed that it is going to be the same, not different from his predecessor.

READ ALSO: Sowore questions credibility of 2023 polls

“In addition to all the problems Buhari created, the new administration of Tinubu has imported militancy and thugs into Abuja. Recently MC Oluomo broke into the NURTW national office in Abuja in the full glare of the police. Asari Dokubo whom we have not heard from in the last five years have suddenly become a familiar face in Aso rock and doing what they like.

“There is nothing different at all. You are going to see more of this, except Nigerians belatedly rise up, but these days I also worry about the Nigerian people, especially their complacency. They are also complicit with their complacency. I have seen more and more wicked and selfish people came into power

In this country today. When you speak the truth, you are likely to be more vilified than the person who is committing the atrocity,” he added.