Chuks Okocha in Abuja
African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that his ongoing prosecution is politically motivated, insisting that he is being punished for standing against corruption, injustice and impunity in Nigeria.
Sowore made the remarks during an appearance on The Morning Brief, a programme aired on Channels Television yesterday, shortly after regaining his freedom from the Kuje Custodial Centre following the perfection of his bail conditions.
The activist was granted bail in the sum of N200 million in a defamation case instituted by the federal government over allegations that he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
Speaking during the interview, Sowore maintained that his trial had nothing to do with the limits of free speech, but was instead a deliberate attempt by those in authority to silence him because of his long-standing opposition to corruption and abuse of power.
“I’m not being tried over any definition or the boundaries between free speech and criminal defamation. I am being punished by people in power for standing up for my rights and the rights of other Nigerians. It didn’t start today.”
He further claimed that successive governments and members of the political establishment had consistently targeted him because of his activism.
“They have a historical anger against me. It is an issue between me and the ruling class in Nigeria that has been destroying the country. They believe I have stood in their way of corruption and impunity.”
Sowore also accused security agencies and government officials of orchestrating what he described as a sustained campaign of persecution against him, arguing that the reasons advanced for his arrests over the years were merely pretexts.
According to him, his previous encounters with authorities, including the seizure of his National Youth Service Corps certificate and his expulsion from the University of Lagos, stemmed from his involvement in political activism and protests rather than any wrongdoing.
“Our security agencies, their leaders and those in power are the people fighting me. Forget about what they claim is the reason they arrested me. They seized my NYSC certificate because I discussed politics during military rule, and I was expelled from the University of Lagos because I participated in protests.”
