Sowore claims Peter Obi’s popularity driven by religious sentiment

Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has taken a swipe at the Labour Party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, dismissing both as lacking the ideological depth and political will to challenge Nigeria’s entrenched political order.

Speaking on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme aired on Sunday, Sowore criticized Obi’s perceived role in the political landscape and branded him an “incapable” opposition figure whose popularity in the 2023 elections was driven more by religious sentiment than by a commitment to systemic change.

“In terms of real opposition, I don’t know why anybody refers to Peter Obi as such. He is not opposed to anything this government is doing. He didn’t organize his supporters to defend the election victory he claims. He said nothing when fuel prices were increased. He hasn’t acted like an opposition figure,” Sowore asserted.

The AAC chieftain reiterated his pre-election stance that the Labour Party was a temporary vessel without genuine ideological commitment, a party he compared to a short-term rental platform.

“I said it then, and I’ll say it again: the Labour Party was a short rental, like an Airbnb. You move in, and when your time is up, you move out. When they’re done with Peter Obi, they’ll move the rental to someone else. Maybe he doesn’t want to move out now, maybe he’s staying for show,” he remarked.

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Sowore further argued that Obi’s emergence as a prominent political figure in 2023 was more a reflection of religious anxieties than political principles, citing the polarisation that followed the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

“There was widespread concern about Islamisation. Christians responded by rallying around the most prominent Christian candidate available, Peter Obi. But that doesn’t translate into being a transformative leader or real opposition,” he explained.

Taking a more pointed tone, Sowore accused Obi of deliberately avoiding mobilization and resistance, tools he believes are central to any meaningful opposition movement.

“If six million people voted for you, and you can’t mobilize even 60,000 to protest or demand accountability in Abuja, then what exactly are you doing? Real opposition isn’t tweets and television interviews. It’s resistance. It’s action,” he said.

Sowore didn’t spare Labour Party lawmakers either, alleging that many of them are gradually aligning with the APC, betraying the very change they campaigned on.

“Look at the Labour Party lawmakers, they’re not returning to where they came from. They’re flocking to the APC. That tells you all you need to know. These guys were not real in 2023, and they won’t be in 2027,” he concluded.

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