Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has criticised the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, claiming that he helped him gain admission to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after his expulsion from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
Sowore made the claim in a response published on X on Thursday, following Basiru’s description of him as a skit maker and comedian during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
The human rights activist accompanied his response with a photograph taken with Basiru in 1998, when he was leading the Congress of Progressive Youths (COPY) in the campaign against military dictatorship.
Sowore Recounts Basiru’s University Admission
According to Sowore, Basiru came to the University of Lagos after he was expelled from the University of Ilorin in 1992 over student activism.
Sowore said he received Basiru alongside Kunle Adegoke, popularly known as K-Rad, who is now a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
He claimed that they provided both individuals with an enabling environment to apply for readmission into university and subsequently gain admission to study Law at UNILAG.
“We provided them with an enabling environment to apply to re-enter the university, gain admission, and study Law at the University of Lagos,” Sowore said.
He added that both Basiru and Adegoke eventually graduated with flying colours.
Sowore Faults Basiru’s Comments on 2023 Election
Sowore also faulted Basiru’s argument that opposition candidates who contested against President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election should be ashamed because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu the winner.
The AAC chieftain maintained that the pursuit of justice, democracy and freedom should not be dismissed as entertainment or comedy.
“The struggle for justice, democracy, freedom and the preservation of human dignity is neither skit-making nor comedy,” Sowore said.
He argued that Basiru was familiar with the struggle because he had previously participated in the pro-democracy movement and benefited from the solidarity of activists who opposed military rule.
Sowore Says Political Appointments Are Temporary
The activist further argued that political appointments do not last forever, insisting that the Tinubu administration would eventually leave office, just as previous military regimes had come to an end.
Sowore said it was ironic that individuals who once benefited from resistance to oppression could later become defenders of what they previously opposed.
“What is truly comical is watching yesterday’s beneficiaries of resistance become today’s defenders of the very oppression they once fought against,” he added.
The exchange highlights the continuing political disagreement between Sowore and Basiru over the role of opposition figures, Nigeria’s democratic struggle and the legacy of political activism.
Note: Sowore’s account of Basiru’s expulsion and subsequent admission is attributed to him and should not be treated as independently verified without additional evidence.