Nigerian human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has decried the worsening state of social, political, and economic conditions in the country, saying that Nigerians are growing increasingly weary.
Sowore expressed concerns over what he described as the absence of genuine leadership focused on the plight of ordinary citizens.
According to him, those currently in power appear more preoccupied with retaining control than addressing the pressing needs of the people.
“Nigerians are tired,” Sowore stated. “But unfortunately, they are not tired because there is no way out — they are tired because those who should be leading them out of hardship are instead more concerned about consolidating power.”
He explained the need for visionary and people-oriented leadership to rescue the country from its current trajectory of hardship and hopelessness.
Speaking on Channels TV on Monday, Sowore described the Cybercrime Act as a “notorious law” that needs to be repealed immediately, stating that it has no place in a democratic country.
“There are a number of issues in the country, and this was a nationwide declaration aimed at restoring free speech in Nigeria,” Sowore said.
“If you’ve monitored recent events, you’d notice that young Nigerians using social media to express themselves are being dragged from one police station to another. I’ve had to appear in court several times because of this.”
“I myself have faced three major cybercrime charges,” he continued. “The first was in 2019 during Buhari’s administration. Then, Ned Nwoko had me arrested and charged. More recently, the Inspector-General of Police also charged me, which led to the seizure of my international passport for the past three months. That’s why we’re calling for this notorious law to be repealed without delay. It has no place in a democracy. We’ve also expanded our efforts, allowing various units of Take It Back (TIB) to campaign and protest over issues affecting them.”
Sowore went on to say that the country is in shambles.
“Many people are suffering from hunger and starvation. There are widespread illegalities, especially in Rivers State. In Kogi State, people have been denied representation in the Senate. There are no jobs. Shelves are empty,” he said.
“In light of all this, major movements have begun rallying people across the country to resist and fight back. And this is just the beginning,” he added.
When asked what he meant by “the beginning,” Sowore explained that the protests are part of a larger plan.
“It’s a series. Over time, the intensity and scale of these protests will grow. Nigerians are tired of these conditions. The political elite is more concerned about grabbing power than improving people’s lives.”
Asked whether there was anything new in the current agitations, Sowore responded: “You might say this has gone on for years, but if someone is ill and hasn’t been cured, should we stop applying medicine? We’re not just repeating old complaints — we’re pointing out that the situation has become so severe, it now threatens the very existence of the Nigerian people.”
“You cannot have a country where people have nothing to eat. When there’s large-scale unemployment, it leads to some of the worst situations—particularly in terms of inflation.
And then you turn around and tell young people, who are already being neglected, that they can’t speak on TikTok, they can’t talk on Twitter, they can’t express themselves.
“You invoke outdated, colonial-era laws—what used to be called sedition is now disguised as the Cybercrime Act. That law, by the way, was promulgated specifically to silence dissent. And if these young people dare to speak out, you can throw them in jail for as long as you want.
“One young person recently spent 50 days in detention — up until about two weeks ago —because he made a TikTok video that, according to the police, insulted the wife of the president.
“Before that, a group of young women spent Christmas and New Year in prison because they allegedly insulted the president’s son, again according to the police.
“So, we’re seeing a country held hostage by a poorly performing family, and people are starting to fight back. We are now seeing stronger and more determined resistance to the culture of oppression in the country.
“These same people are also deeply concerned about many other issues—especially electoral integrity in the upcoming election,” Sowore said.
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According to the human rights activist, there’s a growing awareness that the president of Nigeria doesn’t even want to leave power.
“He has reportedly been trying to convince some members of the National Assembly to ratify a law that would shift Nigeria to a parliamentary system, allowing for a six-year term and potentially giving him a total of ten years in power. That is their secret plan.
“But we are planning openly — to resist, and to reclaim our country from those who are running it into the ground every single day,” Sowore added.
