Why I Don’t Want Endorsements From Obasanjo, Babangida Unlike Some Other Candidates – Sowore, AAC Presidential Candidate

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has stated reasons why he is not running after past Nigerian leaders to seek their endorsements.

In a video Sowore shared on Twitter on Tuesday, the activist said he needs endorsements but rather from the oppressed and the masses and not from questionable characters.

Paraphrasing Bob Marley’s song, Real Situation, Sowore described total liberation as the only solution for Nigeria.

He said in the video, “Of course, I want to win as the President of Nigeria but it is not about my ambition, it is about the poor hovering around in pains and anguish in their hundreds, millions sleeping in agony over insecurities, hunger and starvation.

“Of course, I need plenty of endorsements but I won’t be able to take that of Olusegun Obasanjo who had over 12 years as President but had nothing but barbarism to show for it. What will I tell the people of Odi and Zaki Biam? That the rogue that massacred them is now my mentor? Or what will I tell the memories of journalists Dele Giwa or Kato that the drug dealer known as Maradona (Ibrahim Babangida) is now one of my godfathers? Mba, my people.

“I would rather be endorsed by the very masses who have no billions of naira but are in their millions. I would rather be endorsed by the oppressed who bear the brunt of this vulcanizer economy that we have today, that have been imposed on our people, that have brought untold hardships and poverty.

“I would rather be endorsed by the comrades of Anti-SAP, those who fought during June 12, Anti-Deregulation and recently those who fought during EndSARS. Those whose beloved heroes were those of Lekki and Orlu. I would rather be endorsed by the Northern Talakawa who live at the behest of Boko Haram, bandits and ISWAP.”

He noted that some of his fellow candidates “are desperate to be endorsed by the enemies of our people”.

Here, the video shows Obasanjo telling an audience why he did not endorse the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, to succeed him. Atiku was the Vice-President when Obasanjo was Nigeria’s President from 1999 to 2007.

Obasanjo instead supported Umaru Yar’Adua, who went on to succeed but later died in office.

“With what I know about Atiku, if I had put Atiku forward, God would not have forgiven me,” Obasanjo said in the video, which was immediately followed by a clip of Peter Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate, saying, “Atiku is my leader, my boss and a senior brother.”

“But am I desperate? Yes, very desperate,” Sowore continued.

“I’m desperate for free and quality education at all levels. I’m very desperate but for free and quality healthcare at all levels. I say I’m very desperate to stop the greedy rogues and return our commonwealth to the very people from whom it was looted. Omoyele Sowore is very desperate; yes, for the total liberation of our country, Nigeria and by extension, Africa. We can’t continue like this.”