By Juliet Oladele, Reporting
IBADAN — A leading figure of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has poured cold water on a high-profile gathering of opposition politicians in Ibadan, declaring that he turned down an invitation to attend what he described as a “charade” designed to recycle failed political actors.
In a blunt statement released over the weekend, the activitist insisted that Nigerians are not suffering from collective amnesia — and that the same men and women who once “held the nation to ransom” cannot suddenly rebrand as saviours of the people.
“I was invited to attend the so-called ‘Opposition Summit’ in Ibadan, but I declined,” the AAC leader said.
“There is no need to pretend that the same men (and a few women) who held Nigeria to ransom for years, presiding over stagnation, corruption, and systemic decay, can suddenly reinvent themselves as champions of progress or defenders of the people.”
The summit, which reportedly brought together figures from across the opposition spectrum, was intended to forge a united front ahead of future elections. But the AAC has dismissed the effort as little more than a cynical rebranding exercise.
In a fiery dismissal, the party made clear it would have no part in any arrangement that seeks to repackage “opportunistic” politicians under a fresh banner.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our revolutionary party, the African Action Congress, will not be part of any charade designed to recycle failed political actors under the guise of ‘opposition,'” the statement read.
Instead, the AAC pledged to present what it called “a formidable, people-driven alternative” — one rooted in integrity, accountability, and genuine transformation.
“We will mobilise Nigerians across the country to rally behind a credible vision that rejects the decadence and deception represented by both the All Progressives Congress and their opportunistic counterparts in the ADC, PDP, Labour Party and elsewhere.”
The party reserved some of its sharpest criticism for the ruling APC and main opposition parties alike, arguing that the political class across the board has failed the Nigerian people.
“Nigeria does not need a rearrangement of the same broken pieces,” the statement concluded. “It needs a complete break from the past.”
The AAC ended its message with three hashtags that have become synonymous with its militant brand of politics: #AACOurParty, #RevolutionNOW, and #TakeItBack.
Whether the Ibadan summit will yield any meaningful opposition coalition remains to be seen. But if the AAC’s stance is anything to go by, unity among Nigeria’s fractured opposition is still a very distant dream.
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