Activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday said his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre would not stop his activism, insisting that imprisonment had never defeated a just cause.
Sowore spoke shortly after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered that he be remanded in Kuje pending further proceedings in the case filed against him over comments in which he allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.”
The remand order was made by Justice Mohammed Umar after the court dismissed Sowore’s application asking the judge to recuse himself from the matter on the ground of alleged bias.
Moments after the ruling, Sowore went live on Instagram with a defiant message, saying he was not frightened by the court’s decision.
Speaking calmly while waiting to be taken into custody, Sowore compared his remand to the ordeal of Nigerians who had spent months in terrorist captivity.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTB7hGLGG
“Imagine people that had been in terrorist captivity for months now. Sending me to Kuje prison now feels like a vacation,” he said.
He urged his supporters not to panic or take any action on his behalf that he would not approve of.
“Please nobody should feel bad for me or do something I won’t be proud of,” Sowore added.
The activist said he was prepared for the development and would continue mobilising Nigerians even while in detention.
“I’m going to prison to keep mobilising our people. The prosecution insisted that I should be sent to Kuje Prison until Wednesday.
“I came prepared. I even brought my prison bag. All these are happening for a reason. Somebody must make sacrifices that will benefit this country,” he said.
Sowore also accused President Tinubu of attempting to interfere with the judiciary ahead of the 2027 general election, alleging that the executive had compromised the independence of the courts.
“Tinubu wants to do everything that’ll make him rig the 2027 election in a way that nobody will know he’s rigging. That’s why he’s buying houses and cars for judges. He has embedded the justice of our court within the executive branch,” Sowore alleged during the live broadcast.
The activist explained that his absence from an earlier court sitting, which led to the revocation of his bail, was due to consultations with his legal team.
According to him, his lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, had informed the court of his engagement before the remand order was issued.
Sowore maintained that the development would not weaken his resolve.
“I am the least bothered by this development. Imprisonment has never defeated a just cause, and it never will,” he said.
The Department of State Services is prosecuting Sowore over alleged criminal defamation and cybercrime arising from his social media comments about President Tinubu.
The case was adjourned until Wednesday for continuation of proceedings.
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