Breaking: Sowore Announces 2027 Election Presidential Bid, Discloses Party
- Omoyele Sowore has announced his presidential bid for the 2027 elections in a growing candidate field
- Sowore aims for the presidency despite past low vote counts in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections
- The activist is known for joining campaigns that decry corruption and alleged poor governance in previous administrations in the West African nation
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - A human rights activist and media entrepreneur, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday, May 22, 2026, declared his intention to run for president.
Legit.ng reports that Sowore joined the growing list of aspirants jostling to democratically take the seat of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Source: Twitter
If he emerges as a candidate, this will be the third time the activist will be contesting for the position. He was the flagbearer of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.
Sowore confirms 2027 presidential bid
Sowore, 55, a fierce critic of successive Nigerian governments, confirmed his decision during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday evening, May 22, monitored by Legit.ng.
Asked whether he would be throwing his hat into the ring for the 2027 elections, Sowore replied, according to a post on X:
"Yes, we have our party primaries next week."
Quizzed on whether he would be the AAC’s sole candidate, the activist responded:
"Let the parties decide who their candidates are."
Sowore’s political journey, battles
Legit.ng recalls that in Sowore's 2019 attempt, he garnered 33,953 votes to place fifth.
In 2023, he finished in 16th place with just 14,608 votes, although he rejected the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), decrying the commission’s failure to electronically transmit results to its portal.
Source: Getty Images
Sowore has often run into trouble with Nigerian authorities. He was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in August 2019 after the election for alleged treason after he led a nationwide protest tagged RevolutionNow.
He was repeatedly taken to court over the protest.
In March 2022, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared Sowore’s arrest in connection with the 2019 #RevolutionNow protest illegal.
Delivering judgment in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Sowore, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ordered the DSS to pay N1 million in damages to the activist.
Read more on Omoyele Sowore:
- Sowore reacts to Alex Ekubo's death: "I watched him on Emirates flight"
- Sowore reacts to Delta killing, sends strong message to police, and shares what must happen next
- Sowore breaks silence amid threats, explains why he won't trade words with VeryDarkMan
Sowore under fire for calling Tinubu criminal
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Sowore came under fire over his remarks about President Tinubu.
Reacting to remarks by President Tinubu portraying Nigeria as progressing, Sowore insisted that corruption remains a major challenge in the country.
While a few internet users sided with Sowore, many Nigerians took exception to Sowore's description of the president as "this criminal".
Source: Legit.ng
