The African Action Congress has called on security agencies to urgently investigate an alleged attack on its 2027 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and members of his campaign team in Ekiti State.
The party said Sowore’s whereabouts remained unknown after the reported incident, which allegedly occurred around 1pm on Friday.
In a statement signed by Abdulkareem Musa, spokesperson for the Sowore/Magashi Presidential Election Campaign, the party described the development as a serious security threat and urged relevant authorities to take immediate action.
It called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Independent National Electoral Commission and other security agencies to establish what happened and ensure the safety of the candidate and his team.
The statement said, “We demand an immediate security assessment, appropriate protective measures and a thorough investigation into the incident. The authorities must not wait for a tragedy before taking preventive action.”
The campaign also condemned political violence and intimidation, stressing that electoral contests should be conducted peacefully.
“Politics and elections are not warfare. No political actor or party has the right to engage violence, intimidation or attacks on citizens exercising their democratic rights,” it added.
The group further warned that any harm to Sowore or members of his campaign team would be unacceptable, insisting that those responsible must be brought to justice.
In a separate post on Sowore’s official X account, the campaign alleged that armed thugs had abducted the activist.
The post stated, “Armed thugs kidnap Sowore. His current location is unknown!”
However, the reported attack and alleged abduction had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
The identities of the alleged attackers and the circumstances surrounding the incident were also yet to be established.
Sowore, who is seeking the presidency in 2027 under the AAC, had been in Ekiti State for campaign activities on Thursday.
His absence from proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday was reportedly attributed to his political engagements in the state by his lawyer.
The court subsequently adjourned his cyberbullying trial until November.
