A week before the February 25 presidential election, African Action Congress (AAC) candidate Omoyele Sowore warned that Nigeria faces a political situation reminiscent of 2003. He recalled that year as a moment when the country could have escaped corruption, starvation and oppression through the candidacy of the late human‑rights activist Chief Gani Fawehinmi. Fawehinmi, a renowned lawyer, contested the April 19, 2003 presidential election under his National Conscience Party, which he founded in 1994. The election was ultimately won by incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo, who defeated his nearest rival, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired), by more than 11 million votes. Fawehinmi received only 161,333 votes—about 0.4 % of the 39.4 million cast.
In a Saturday tweet, Sowore said, “Today, we are confronted with the same situation in 2023.” He argued that the ruling political class had brain‑washed many Nigerians into rejecting Fawehinmi, claiming that “the devil we know is better than the angel we can’t trust.” Critics labeled Fawehinmi as “stubborn,” “undiplomatically rude,” and even accused him of being “not an experienced thief,” preferring incremental punishment over his candid truth. Sowore noted that Fawehinmi’s final remarks during the 2003 campaign were a rare, contentious moment in Nigerian politics.
Sowore drew a parallel to his own experience in the 2019 presidential election, his first run under the AAC, which he founded. He garnered 33,953 votes—about 0.12 % of the total. That election returned President Buhari for a second term, with 15,191,847 votes (56 % of 27.3 million), while his main opponent, Atiku Abubakar, received 41.2 % of the vote.
Eighteen political parties are contesting this year’s election. Prominent candidates include Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress), Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party), Peter Obi (Labour Party), Rabiu Kwankwaso (New Nigeria Peoples Party), Omoyele Sowore (AAC), and Kola Abiola (Peoples Redemption Party). Nigerians await the polls to decide the outcome of a tightly fought presidential race.
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