Omoyele Sowore, a consistent voice from the military regime to the present democratic reality, shared his deep disappointment with the country’s progress on the “Mic On Podcast” with Seun Okinbaloye. Reflecting on the past 25 years, Sowore stated, “When you look at all the struggles and expectations twenty-five years later, I will tell you I’m one of the most disappointed because I was one of the few young people who were at the forefront of the struggle for democratic rule at that time.” He emphasized that while they succeeded in ending military rule in 1999, they failed to eliminate militaristic influences from the political system.
Sowore criticized the transition to civilian rule in 1999, describing it as incomplete and flawed.
“The return to civilian rule (May 29th, 1999) wasn’t a proper transition because those who participated in driving the military out of power shouldn’t have abandoned the stage immediately,” he said.
He also argued that the activists should have formed a political party to represent the people’s interests. Sowore also lamented the release of military leaders like Obasanjo while the late MKO Abiola, who committed no crime, was detained and pressured to renounce his mandate, revealing systemic injustices within the transition process.
While he did not shy away from addressing controversial issues, including the death of MKO Abiola, Mr. Sowore alleged that American diplomats were involved in Abiola’s death, stating, “The people who did this (killed Abiola) were notorious American diplomats; (Thomas) Pickering and Susan Rice. This was when we knew that they were not prepared for the transition to (Nigeria’s) democracy.” He also accused the military of manipulating the political system by installing one of their own, Obasanjo, as President, while sidelining true democratic leaders.
Sowore, who recounted personal sacrifices and struggles resulting from his activism by recalling his arrest by the DSS on the day he completed his NYSC, also shared the emotional toll on his family, including his mother’s stroke following his re-arrest and the unexplained death of his brother. “I was arrested by the DSS on the day I finished my NYSC. It was a publication by the Punch Newspaper written by Stanley Yakubu that got me saved. Till today, I was not given my NYSC Certificate because I said I was against the (Sani) Abacha regime.”
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