“Kwara State is well known for agriculture. We are going to bring infrastructure also. Bacita Sugar Company is a special place, where sugar is being produced, but now there are no good roads that link the company.... They have destroyed this country and that is why our party wants to take this country back," Sowore stated.
Offa, a city located in Kwara State, on Sunday September 9, 2018, played host to Omoyele Sowore, presidential aspirant of the African Action Congress (AAC), who visited the city as part of activities for his presidential campaign.
The hall, where the meeting was held, was filled to capacity.
On Sowore's arrival, the crowd rose in ovation screaming "Sho, Sho". He arrived the venue with his trademark grin, saluting the crowd.
Speaking at the event, Sowore began by thanking the people for their support, just as he called for one-minute silence for those who lost their lives in the wake of the robbery in Offa.”
Explaining why he called for the one-minute silence, he said: “Offa is very important in Kwara State today. They’ve seen the stars and want to bury it. We have people who have been enslaving us here. When the robbery happened and by the time policemen concluded their investigations, it was reportedly traced to the same people who are Senators and governors; they are the ones who are involved in the killings.
“Some are saying they are too big to steal, but I tell you that anyone that has been stealing since a tender age, when they grow up, they will finally become armed robbers.
“Guns, cutlasses and money given to them during election are the same recovered by the Police force after the robbers were taken into custody. This case will not be buried because I know that if people can’t arrest them now, God will not make them to rest. But our own government that we want to run will not allow these bad leaders to rest.”
Sowore summed his campaign strategy into the acronym: SPICER-HEAT, with its interpretation as Security, Power, Infrastructure, Corruption, Economy, Restructuring, Health, Education, Agriculture and Tourism.
He said: “We have founded our party known as African Action Congress (AAC) and before this party, we created a movement called ‘TakeItBack’ and within six months of creation, we have visited several states across the country with huge crowds present in halls, including Zamfara State, the second most deadly state in Nigeria after Borno State. No other young candidate has done that since they kick-started their campaign.
“It is easy for people to come and say so many things without agenda, but we are here with our agenda known as SPICER-HEAT.
“We are also going to fight corruption.
“Agriculture is well known for in Kwara State. We are going to bring infrastructure also. Bacita Sugar Company is a special place, where sugar is being produced, but now there are no good roads that link the company.
“There is no availability of good water to drink for our people; no good schools for our children, and the worst of it is there are no good hospitals for our pregnant women to deliver their babies. They have destroyed this country and that is why our party wants to take this country back.
“We are approaching you from a different angle. Our political party is here to change Nigeria for good forever. We need not to be afraid of anyone and all the people who have destroyed this country don’t deserve any respect and we cannot respect them. They belong elsewhere and not in government houses.
“Anybody that has stolen money that is meant for education which belongs to our children; money budgeted to revive the health sector; money meant for agriculture, electricity and infrastructure, doesn’t deserve the merit to govern the good people of Nigeria.”
One of the residents of Offa, who was present at the event, expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the country.
Her words: “I don’t know how Nigerians got to this place. The country is now a place where people will just do evil acts and go scot free. The country has been in the state of chaos, unrest due to lack of good governance.”
Bringing the interaction with Offa residents to a close, he said: "Please I urge you all to get your PVCs and vote for AAC party. We are not only vying for the post of president, but for governors, Houses of Assembly, Councillors, chairmanship and the like. Our forms are not N15 million or N4 million. Do you think someone who buys a form worth N15 million will remember you? No, he won’t.”
After the town hall meeting, one of indigene, who spoke on the encounter said: “No wonder he is tagged ‘IOS’, which can be translated as 'Intelligent Omoyele Sowore', because of his snappy-comebacks and the ability to answer questions instantly after being asked. While some will have to look for an excuse to divert the question thrown to them by the audience, Sowore answered his questions flawlessly.”