Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, renewed his call for a mass revolution in Nigeria, insisting that only a widespread uprising can dislodge what he described as self-serving, exploitative leaders who treat the country as their personal property.
Speaking to journalists outside the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he appeared in connection with ongoing legal proceedings related to his past activism, Sowore declared that peaceful electoral transitions alone would never deliver genuine change. “Just be ready for a revolution,” he stated. “I have always said that until there is a mass uprising in this country, we can’t take this country away from those who believe that it’s their personal property to exploit and discharge.”
Sowore, founder of the Sahara Reporters news platform and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, argued that entrenched elites—who he claimed enjoy luxury lifestyles despite lacking legitimate sources of wealth—have no incentive to voluntarily relinquish power. “There is nobody that is going to handover power to you on a platter,” he said. “People who have no jobs but are doing well, people who have no investment are living in luxury and you expect them to just handover power to you?”
He framed the envisioned revolution as a vehicle for radical economic and social transformation. “Our revolution is driven by the fact that the moment we take off their neck we can redistribute our wealth and make children go to school for free in this country, build hospitals that work for all, construct roads, and catch up with the rest of the world and our African brothers,” Sowore explained.
The statement comes amid deepening public discontent in Nigeria over persistent economic hardship, high inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and allegations of widespread corruption under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Many Nigerians continue to grapple with the fallout of naira redesign policies, fuel subsidy removal, and multiple currency devaluations that have driven up living costs dramatically since 2023.
Sowore’s rhetoric revives themes he has championed since launching #RevolutionNow in August 2019—a protest movement demanding good governance, an end to corruption, and systemic overhaul. That initial call led to nationwide demonstrations, mass arrests (including Sowore’s own detention), and charges of treasonable felony that were later dropped or stalled. He ran as the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, garnering modest vote shares but using both campaigns to amplify anti-establishment messages.
The activist’s latest remarks drew swift reactions. Supporters on social media praised his consistency and boldness, viewing the call as a necessary wake-up for a frustrated populace. Critics, however, warned that advocating revolution in Nigeria’s volatile context risks descending into chaos, violence, or military intervention—outcomes seen in previous coups and civil unrest. Government officials and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) spokespersons have historically dismissed Sowore’s rhetoric as irresponsible and attention-seeking.
Security agencies have previously cited Sowore’s statements as justification for surveillance and occasional arrests. His court appearance Tuesday stemmed from residual cases tied to past protests, though no new charges were directly linked to the revolution call.
Nigeria’s political landscape remains tense ahead of the 2027 general elections. Opposition parties, civil society groups, and youth-led movements continue to criticize the Tinubu administration over economic management, while pro-democracy voices debate whether systemic change requires electoral reform, judicial independence, or—as Sowore insists—extra-constitutional mass action.
Sowore did not specify timelines, organizational details, or triggers for the uprising he envisions. He has long maintained that the revolution would be peaceful and people-driven, modeled on successful non-violent movements elsewhere, though his critics point to the risk of escalation in a country with a history of ethnic, religious, and resource-based conflicts.
As economic pressures mount and public patience wears thin, Sowore’s renewed invocation of revolution underscores the depth of disillusionment among segments of the population. Whether it galvanizes coordinated action or remains a rallying cry for the disaffected will likely depend on the broader response from civil society, labor unions, youth organizations, and ordinary citizens in the months ahead.
