Omoyele Sowore, the human rights activist and media entrepreneur, on Friday, May 22, 2026, declared he will run for president in 2027. He joins a growing field of hopefuls aiming to replace President Bola Tinubu.
Sowore, 55, a fierce critic of successive governments, confirmed his plans on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday evening. Asked if he would run, he said: “Yes, we have our party primaries next week.” When asked whether he would be the AAC’s sole candidate, he replied: “Let the parties decide who their candidates are.”
If he becomes a candidate, it will be his third tilt at the presidency. Sowore was the African Action Congress (AAC) flagbearer in 2019 and 2023. In 2019 he polled 33,953 votes to finish fifth. In 2023 he placed 16th with 14,608 votes — a result he rejected, decrying the Independent National Electoral Commission’s failure to electronically transmit results to its portal.
Sowore has often clashed with authorities. He was arrested by the Department of State Services in August 2019 for alleged treason after leading the RevolutionNow protest and was repeatedly taken to court. In March 2022 the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that arrest illegal and ordered the DSS to pay N1 million in damages.
Earlier, Sowore came under fire for calling President Tinubu “this criminal.” A few internet users sided with him, but many Nigerians objected to the description.
