Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on Thursday led a mass protest in Abuja demanding the immediate rescue of schoolchildren abducted across Nigeria.
The protest, which drew hundreds of demonstrators, was organised amid rising concerns over insecurity and mass abductions in different parts of the country.
Sowore described the demonstration as a “rehearsal” for what he called a possible revolutionary push against poor governance and insecurity.
Addressing the protesters, Sowore accused President Bola Tinubu of failing in his duty to protect Nigerians.
He demanded urgent action from the Federal Government to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren.
“We are asking that Tinubu, with immediate effect, go and rescue the children who were kidnapped from their schools across the country and get them released immediately,” he said.
According to him, the President had failed in his constitutional responsibility to secure citizens.
“Because that is what he imposed on Nigerians to do as the president that he stole in 2023, and from which we shall never allow him to come back again in this country,” he added.
During the protest, Sowore led chants against the President, asking demonstrators whether they wanted Tinubu to return to power.
“Do you want Tinubu to come back again?” he asked.
The crowd responded, “No, no, no, no!”
Sowore also launched a strong criticism of the President over insecurity in the country.
He said, “Tinubu is Boko Haram. We are here because of the situation of our country. We are here because the situation in Nigeria is the worst of all the countries surrounding us today.
“Let us Nigerian people, we are here as a rehearsal for what might become the final push for a revolution in this country.”
The activist said the Abuja protest was part of a nationwide mobilisation.
“So, this march is to herald the release of those children. And it’s going on all over the country. This is the Abuja version,” he said.
He added that protesters had planned to march to the Presidential Villa but were blocked by heavy security deployment.
“We were planning, or we actually had gone to the villa. But they put soldiers in large numbers,” he said.
Sowore said the protesters avoided confrontation with security operatives because the march was peaceful.
“It’s not as if we cannot put the soldiers aside. But we decided that because it’s a peaceful process, we will not have any confrontation with the soldiers or police,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to remain defiant and use mass action to demand accountability.
“When people take over streets. When the masses take over streets, all oppressors, they shall run away,” he said.
