PRESIDENTIAL Candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoleye Sowore, has berated the trends of presidential endorsement seen in the country, saying that he will not be a leader to genuflect on the altars of fallen gods.
Recall that recently former president Olusegun Obasanjo; former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, including the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, declared support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, which has sparked strong reactions from the high and low in the society.
Reacting to this, Sowore said he couldn’t imagine himself paying a visit to a man as Ibrahim Babangida to solicit his support.
According to Sowore, I was more powerful than Babangida in 1993. Why would I go to him and beg for his endorsement in 2023, 30 years after we chased him out of power? It doesn’t make sense as you engage in reverse gear, whereas you should be moving forward. So, I don’t do that.
“I have respect for people. You know there are opinion leaders out there, we reach them to understand that look, this country needs to change. Those who want the country to change know how to endorse it. If there are those who want the country to change they know how to endorse it. You don’t need to go to their house and be rolling on the floor. I am not going to be a leader that will be genuflecting on the altars of fallen gods.”
Sowore, therefore, said he longs more for a massive stream of endorsements by Nigerians across board.
Sowore, who played host to a radio presidential interview program, in Lagos, on Wednesday, said his radical change agenda would be entirely deployed to pull Nigeria out of the doldrum should he be elected as president in 2023.
He, however, referred to himself as the best candidate for the post while asserting that the three major political parties: the People’s Democratic Party, PDP; the All Progressives Congress, APC; and the Labor Party, LP, would not bring Nigeria to Uhuru.
“Yes, I believe I am the best candidate for the job and I have spoken extensively about a lot of them. You know, when you’re campaigning, you are talking about your ideas, your manifesto and what you’re capable of doing and you are also warning the public of the records and pedigrees of your opponent. So, I don’t have any reason, therefore, to say oh, I believe in something. I believe in the person, you know because this is not war. If I go outside and we meet, we shake hands just as we argue sometimes.
“I’ve fought them in sitting positions I believe they don’t belong to or challenge them on their records publicly. I’ve done this in a lot of events, debates, and joint events that we’ve been invited to, but I do not believe that they are fitter or better than myself to become the president of Nigeria. In fact, most of them are people who have been tested before and failed and they are repackaging themselves to make it look like they have something new to offer.
A lot of them are deflated tires. So, if you are relying on them, you are on a destination to nowhere”, he said.
Speaking about the structure on the ground for his party, Sowore said: “The people who are desirous of freedom and liberation are the structures of our party and the other part is that this is the same party that has been fighting the government. When we called for a revolution in 2019 and over 26 states participated. The Federal Government had to spend over 10 billion naira to stop that protest. So, you can imagine the structure are willing, capable and courageous enough to face an aggressive state, what are elections to them?
“I believe that Nigerians are always ready for a change because they are the ones calling for a change all the time”, he added.
Additionally, he stated that, if elected, he would work with former leaders who have shown repentance and are willing to support his vision to free Nigeria from its current predicaments, adding that anything less, would be looked down upon.
