Barely a year to Nigeria’s general election, Mr Omoyele Sowore, Nigerian human rights activist, pro-democracy campaigner, former presidential candidate, and founder of Sahara Reporters has predicted the imminent collapse of the two major political parties in the country, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The convener of the #RevolutionNow struggle in an exclusive interview with one of Vanguard Newspaper’s correspondent said that the sad events bedeviling the two political parties are similar issues that had happened in history, especially at times when oppressive systems were about to crumble.
He said: “I have seen and read, sometimes watched movies of oppressive systems when they are about to collapse. They look very strong, they act very strong, and they get very desperate. I think that’s what is happening to the two major political parties.
“You remember the Peoples Democratic Party, at the time it was about to collapse or lose its relevance, they claimed that they will rule for 60 years. That was around 2014, and a year later, they lost completely. The same thing is happening with the APC. I don’t even think APC will go that far because they’re collapsed already. The party is collapsing as we speak. It’s falling apart under the weight of its own external and internal contradictions.
“The external contradictions or processes are the total rejection of Nigeria populace of these political parties, because there is no difference between the two political parties. We can’t say enough of that. They are the same.
“Nigeria is the only country in the world that I know where you can go to bed as a member of APC and wake up the next morning as a PDP member. What is the difference? But, what you can see is that Nigerians are tired of this kind of government. What you see is desperation as a matter of fact, they are clogging to straws because they are droning, because this is their last breathe from both sides of the political sides, even though they are one and the same in terms of character, nature and behavior.
When the Ese-Odo, Ondo State born activist was asked whether he would join any government in the center if invited to serve, he said: “Never! Except there are other political parties or political interest that believe in what we believe in.
“If they believe in equity, justice, fairness. If they believe in an egalitarian society, and we see very clearly, because we know a lot of them, because will do a background check, and if we can see clearly that they mean well for Nigerian people and this is not a manipulative process, we will be glad to talk to them, have genuine concrete conversations and eventually join hands with those people.
“But, it is not to dilute our ideas, or to fall into the traps of the political juggernauts as they call themselves. We will not come in, as they will find vibrant young people, political movements and parties, suck them into their vacuum cleaners, and they disappear forever. We won’t fall for that.
“I have been around for close to 32 years now. And in the political scene and I’ve tried my hands on a lot of things including the media. I know quite a few of these people, if not all of them.
“I’ve been in active activism, over eight presidents now in Nigeria, that I started seeing them and ended and saw them and the way they ended. So, nobody can tell me, nobody can bamboozle me about the Nigerian political space. So, nobody can just come from anywhere and start shouting, Oh, we love Nigeria. I will ask you questions: Where have you been? Have you been serving the political mammon because I know if you were, you are going to betray us down the line.
Sowore, who in 2019 was a presidential Candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC) said he has not given up his ambition to run for the president again in 2023.
He further stated that Nigeria who is challenged with: Manipulation, Monetization, and Militarization, if allowed to accede as president in 2023 would deal with “militarization of democracy.”
He said: “Nigerian should expect that he will run as he was not the type who will say that he was waiting for God to call him or do consultations.
“Of course, consultations are necessary. But none of the deception you hear from the mainstream politicians and the media that is promoting their decadence, because what we have seen now is that Nigeria is been ruled by 3Ms: Manipulation, Monetization, and Militarization,” he said.
“The defeat of manipulation and monetization is almost complete. What needs to be defeated is the militarization of democracy and that is why a declaration from my end would be necessary as soon as possible.”
