‘They Are Recycled Failures,’ Sowore Speaks on Declining Opposition Summit Invitation

Omoyele Sowore has explained why he declined an invitation to the National Opposition Summit in Ibadan, describing the gathering as an alliance of “recycled failures” rather than a credible alternative for Nigerians.

Leaders of opposition political parties met in Ibadan on Saturday and announced plans to work towards presenting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. The summit featured figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Reacting in a post on X, Sowore said he rejected the invitation because he would not associate with politicians he accused of presiding over years of national decline.

“I declined the Ibadan ‘Opposition Summit’. Nigerians deserve a genuine alternative, not recycled failure,” Sowore wrote.

He added: “There is no need to pretend that the same men (and a few women) who held Nigeria to ransom for years, presiding over stagnation, corruption, and systemic decay, can suddenly reinvent themselves as champions of progress or defenders of the people.”

Sowore argued that the proposed coalition does not represent political renewal, but an attempt by established actors to return to relevance under a new opposition platform.

“Not all Nigerians are suffering from amnesia,” he said.

The African Action Congress (AAC) leader also ruled out his party’s participation in any coalition arrangement involving what he described as discredited political actors.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our revolutionary party, the African Action Congress, will not be part of any charade designed to recycle failed political actors under the guise of opposition,” he said.

Instead, Sowore said the AAC would focus on building what he called a “formidable, people-driven alternative” rooted in accountability and genuine transformation.

“We will mobilize Nigerians across the country to rally behind a credible vision that rejects the decadence and deception represented by both the APC and their opportunistic counterparts,” he wrote.

He maintained that Nigeria’s political problems require a decisive break from the current order, not alliances among familiar figures.

“Political challenges require a decisive break from existing structures instead of a rearrangement of the same broken pieces,” Sowore added.

His comments come as opposition groups intensify coalition talks ahead of 2027, amid growing debate over whether a united front can mount a serious challenge in the next presidential election.