African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has described President Bola Tinubu’s call for violence-free campaigns as hypocritical.
In a post on his 𝕏 handle on Saturday, the activist said the President only spoke up after he was jeered at a mosque in Abuja on Friday, but had been silent while opposition figures were being attacked.
Tinubu had, in a statement on Friday, condemned violence at political rallies across the country and ordered security agencies to clamp down on thugs.
He also urged political parties to run issue-based campaigns. Sowore listed several incidents which he blamed on supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He alleged that APC operatives were responsible for deaths during the recent governorship election in Osun State, and accused the party and the City Boy Movement of sponsoring the attack on his team in Ado-Ekiti on October 30.
The AAC candidate said he had named Governor Biodun Oyebanji, presidential aide Sunday Asefon and FHA Managing Director, Oyetunde Ojo, as being behind the Ekiti attack, but no one had been prosecuted.
He also referred to the attack on the Nigeria Democratic Congress town hall in Lagos, as well as violent incidents in Enugu and Delta states.
“You cannot preach peaceful, issue-based campaigns only when political hostility reaches your doorstep, while rejoicing after your people organise and attack political opponents of your evil All Progressives Congress party,” Sowore said.
He maintained that the President’s appeal would be meaningless unless he also took action over violence allegedly perpetrated by his party’s supporters.
