Pro- democracy activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore said he cannot join any of the two Nigeria’s main political parties - the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to realize his 2019 presidential ambition.
Speaking with BBC Yoruba, Sowore revealed that he is currently in talks with some minor political parties across Nigeria towards forming a coalition strong enough to oust APC and PDP as the main players in Nigeria’s 2019 general election.
He stated that he would be announcing the party he would be running very soon.
He said, “We are discussing with other small parties to see if we can come together as one. You would hear about us and our party very soon because we are working on the coalition.”
When asked why he is aiming to contest for the top political position in Nigeria, instead of starting by contesting for lower positions like in the local government level as many of his critics are saying, Sowore maintained that he has been involved in politics since age 20.
He also wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari was not asked to go and to contest for election into a position in his local government during the four times the former military head of state tried to become Nigeria’s president and failed.
“Buhari contested to be the president of Nigeria four times, why didn’t people tell him to go to his local government."
Highlighting some of his involvements in the political circle of the country, Sowore said, “When I was 20 years of age, I was the president of student union of University of Lagos from 1992 – 1994, those who are being given different political positions now were nowhere to be found when we were fighting for late MKO Abiola against Babangida in 1993, nobody said we were too small then.
“When we took power from the military, nobody asked us to go and fight in our local government. Also when we stood against Obasanjo and his third term ambition, nobody said I was too small to confront Obasanjo.
“When the Yar’adua cabals don’t want Jonathan to become the president of Nigeria and even Jonathan himself was afraid, we were the ones that fought and sent the cabals out for Jonathan to be the president of this country.”
But Sowore insisted that he has the necessary experience to preside over the country.
He pointed out that he has been to different countries across the world and thus, conversant with how government is working to achieve purposeful development of their nations.
Sowore also contended that those in political positions now at the state and federal levels are not as experienced and efficient as many of the youths being derided.
He maintained that young Nigerians must take power from the old ones now to be in the driver’s seat of development of the country.