Peter Obi Is Patently Dishonest and Dumb” — Sowore Slams Ex-Governor Over 2012 Protest Remarks

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has lashed out at Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of gaslighting Nigerians who protested against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government in 2012. Sowore’s criticism followed Obi’s remarks questioning the silence of past protesters amid the current economic hardship under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In response to critics who accused him of demarketing Nigeria abroad, Obi had asked why those who vigorously protested fuel and food price hikes during Jonathan’s tenure have not taken to the streets under Tinubu. He pointed out that prices have now risen tenfold, suggesting a double standard in public response to economic hardship.

“Where are those who, in 2012/13, protested vigorously when increases in fuel, exchange rate, food and transport prices were moderate and manageable under President Jonathan?” Obi asked, also recalling the harsh labels used against Jonathan at the time.

Sowore, who played a prominent role in the 2012 subsidy protests, responded by calling Obi’s comments “questionably and patently dishonest.” He suggested that Obi’s past role as an economic adviser to Jonathan and his association with Fidelity Bank—which Sowore alleged was involved in money laundering for former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke—undermines his credibility.

Sowore argued that Obi’s implication that protests against Jonathan were unnecessary raises questions about his views on citizen activism today. He warned that if such logic were applied uniformly, Tinubu’s administration could also dismiss public dissent, despite the worsening economic conditions.

“If he believes protests are unwarranted under Jonathan, why should Tinubu’s handlers not hold the same view?” Sowore asked, adding that the current regime has also been accused of large-scale corruption while Nigerians suffer.

Challenging Obi to act, Sowore called on him and his supporters, known as the Obidient movement, to lead protests against Tinubu’s policies instead of criticizing those who once opposed Jonathan. He accused Obi of never having led any public demonstrations himself, urging him to stop undermining Nigerians who do.