Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
This is even as the frontline agitator dismissed the position of human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) during the 2023 polls, Omoyele Sowore, on transactional politics and activism.
Igboho argued that his agitation for effective security in the South West and support for President Bola Tinubu’s second term remain his inalienable constitutional rights, rooted in promoting the Yoruba collective interest and Nigeria’s healthy development.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Olayomi Koiki, Igboho, who chided Sowore for reportedly labelling his activism “amala politics” in a recent viral video circulating on social media, urged the public to ignore the claim by Sowore.
He said, “We strongly reject the characterisation of Igboho’s activism as transactional. Such a myopic position misrepresents the intent and focus of our agitation on effective grassroots security in the South West and Nigeria as a whole. How many protests did Sowore organise to push for my freedom? Sowore’s claim of fighting for the masses contradicts his daily lodging expenses of N450,000 at a popular Lagos hotel.
“I cannot be compelled to endorse political figures such as Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar, or even align with Sowore’s political platform. I have the right to make independent political decisions based on the security and collective interests of the Yoruba people.
“Igboho’s advocacy places a premium on addressing insecurity across Yorubaland, marked by persistent violence, including killings of farmers, kidnappings along highways and attacks on traditional rulers and royal institutions.”
Koiki, however, clarified that these concerns form the basis of Igboho’s movement, rather than any ambition for political office or revolutionary leadership.
His words: “While Sowore has consistently promoted nationwide revolution as a pathway to leadership, Igboho’s approach is rooted in protecting lives, land and property within Yoruba territory. This agitation is a vivid response to real and ongoing threats faced by communities in the region.
“We challenge Sowore to assess the situation in his home state of Ondo, considering growing cases of banditry, kidnapping and attacks on rural communities. The impacts on vulnerable groups, including farmers, traditional rulers, women and children, are massive, just as several communities have reportedly suffered destruction.
“These realities reinforce Igboho’s long-standing call, dating back to 2020, for localised security measures and stronger regional protection strategies. Labelling our agitation and noble efforts as ‘amala politics’ undermines the urgency of the security crisis and the legitimacy of grassroots agitation,” he added.
