The Activist Omoyele Sowore: Three Decades Of Consistency, By Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye

Sowore, Sow as I call him has demonstrated for over three decades the altruistism, commitment and consistency, rare qualities which few activists in Nigeria of today possesses.

As a National Vice Chairman under the Beko Ransom-Kuti led Campaign for Democracy (CD), I cherished the roles which Sowore played as the President of the University of Lagos to support mass actions of the CD to terminate the fascist rules of successive military juntas.

Even though the university authority occasionally sponsored reactionary students against his leadership, Sowore had the leadership commitment, consistency and strategy to mobilize his Constituencies in support of our popular Struggles.

I vividly remember that the state security in collaboration with the Unilag authority harassed him despite the fact that he was on hospital admission having been poisoned by students who were agents of the state and authority. He came out stronger and more active in the Struggles for the masses.

The struggle is Sowore’s life! 

He is conscious, committed, grounded and consistent in his calling as a human and pro-democracy activist.

After the realignment of social movements and other conscious civil society and pro-people cadres, the new umbrella then was the United Actions for Democracy (UAD).

The UAD with its pioneer leadership under Olisa Agbakoba SAN, reenacted the days of the CD. Our first major outing was the Yaba 5 millions-Man match against the farcical leprosy match organized in Abuja by the late maximum dark goggle general Sanni ABACHA.

In that popular Yaba UAD struggle, Sowore and his peers were some of our dependable teams. That Yaba protest heralded the second phase of the protracted struggle against the Abacha led junta.

There was a particular UAD protest at Adamasingba against the fruitless transition of the Abacha charades. Sowore was one of the leaders that prosecuted it. They masquerades that were brought to the stadium to scare people from protesting were DEROBED by Sowore and his team. The then military Sole Administrator of Oyo State, Colonel Ahmed was hurriedly taken through the back entrance of the stadium to avoid clash.

The May 1st protest led by late Comrade Ola Oni was another milestone in that era of dictatorial regimes of the military hegemonic rule. Apart from making occasional trips to Ibadan, I also sent some activist cadres to fortify our protest team because of the Adedibu dynasty and narchical exigencies.

Just like any activist of our tendency, Sowore has passed through many harassments, arrests, detentions and tortures under the state apparatuses.

The frivolous felony charges against Sowore was the peak of fascism and misuse of state powers and resources. Now that the state has no evidence against him, Sowore deserves apology and compensations for violating his fundamental human rights.

I recollect that I have also passed through the same farcical charges for Conspiracy to to commit felony, Sedition and Public Incitement. These charges took me through Panti and Ikoyi Prison until my lawyers demystified the falsehood of the dark forces of our society.

Sowore’s partisan political exploits are to fulfill the age long maxim of revolutionizing the political space and not to leave it entirely for political hawks.

Omoyele Sowore like others of his type, remains an Enigmatic Revolutionary Icon of our collective struggles

Until it’s Eureka, we cannot but glow the embers of the liberation of our people from neo imperialism and their auxiliary agents that are now visibly parading themselves in all platforms and coalitions.

COMRADE TAIWO OTITOLAYE was the former National Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD).