Sowore Links Attack To Presidential Bid

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has linked the attack on him in Ekiti State to his presidential ambition, accusing the Nigerian Government of trying to stop him from campaigning.

Sowore made the allegation on NewsCentral’s Politics HQ programme on Friday, while recounting the incident and the injuries suffered by members of his team.

He said he had received medical treatment and left the hospital about an hour before the interview. He also disclosed that several members of his team were injured, with one person coughing up blood and needing further medical attention.

Sowore also dismissed reports that he had been kidnapped during the incident. He explained that he escaped from the scene, but people assumed he had been taken because they saw the attackers pursuing him.

“I wasn’t kidnapped. I’ve clarified that I escaped from the scene. So when nobody could find me, they thought I was kidnapped because they saw them coming after me,” he said.

When asked whether he believed the attack was connected to his presidential ambition, Sowore said the government had been targeting him since he announced his intention to contest the election.

“Of course. The government has been after me since I announced that I was going to run,” he said.

He also accused the government of using his ongoing trial in Abuja to restrict his movements and prevent him from campaigning nationwide.

According to Sowore, the Department of State Services (DSS) trial has made it difficult for him to travel, forcing him to seek the court’s permission to leave Abuja. He said he wrote to the judge before travelling for his campaign activities and explained that he needed to move around the country. However, he said the court asked him to return on Tuesday.

“And the reason why they have put a bogus trial together in Abuja was to prevent me from running. That’s why the DSS started trying me in Abuja. In fact, the day I came to Haiti, I had the right to the judge’s seeking permission to travel,” he said.

Sowore further alleged that the government had pressured a restaurant where he was staying by warning its management against hosting someone it considered an enemy of the government. He described the incident and the restrictions on his movements as part of a political strategy to frustrate his presidential campaign.

“In fact, what happened on Tuesday is that they told the restaurant where you are staying that when you are hosting the enemy of the government in your restaurant, don’t worry, you will get in trouble. His wanting in Abuja is also being caught. Because I don’t think they were expecting me not to be in court,” he added.

Furthermore, he said during the interview that the government had not responded to his request to hold his campaign inauguration at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock.

He maintained that the facility belongs to Nigerians and argued that all political parties should have equal access to public spaces for political events.

“Well, we’re entitled to have our campaign wherever. The Aso Villa is the property of Nigerian people,” he said.

Sowore also argued that any logistical support provided to one political party for an event at the facility should be extended to other parties.

#NigeriaDecides2027: “The government has been after me since I announced that I was going to run.”

AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore says the alleged attack on his campaign team in Ekiti State was politically motivated, clarifying that he was never kidnapped but managed to escape during the incident.

— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) October 30, 2026