Omoyele Sowore (born 16 February 1971) is a Nigerian politician, human rights activist, citizen journalist, author, educator and pro-democracy activist who founded the online news outlet Sahara Reporters.
In August 2018, he founded the African Action Congress and ran for president in the 2019 Nigerian general election. Sowore also ran for president in the 2023 Nigerian general election.
On 3 August 2019, Sowore was detained by the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) for alleged treason after he called for the RevolutionNow protests. He was arrested and attacked during a rally in Abuja on January 1, 2021. Sowore was injured by a policeman during a protest in Abuja on May 31, 2021.
Biography of Omoyele Sowora
Omoyele Yele Sowore is from Ese-Odo, Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Sowore was born in the Niger Delta region (which includes six South-South states: Ondo, Abia and Imo), where he was raised in a polygamous home with sixteen children.
He learned to ride a motorcycle at the age of 12 in order to go to the lake every morning before school to hunt for food for his whole family. During the military regime in Nigeria, Sowore developed a strong enthusiasm and interest in journalism.
Sowore studied Geography and Planning at the University of Lagos from 1989 to 1995, his academic program extended for an additional two years after he was expelled twice for political and student activities.
Between 1992 and 1994, he was the President of the Government of the Student Union of the University of Lagos, where he advocated against cultism and corruption. Sowore earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
Career
In 1989, he participated in student protests against the terms of a $120 million International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan for a Nigerian oil pipeline. IMF funding included reducing the number of Nigerian universities from 28 to 5.
In 1992, Sowore led a demonstration of 5,100 students against the Nigerian government. During the rally, the police opened fire and killed seven protesters. Sowore was arrested and abused.
Sowore was also involved in the call for a democratic administration to take military control in Nigeria on June 12, 1993. As a result, government officials arrested, detained and threatened the lives of protesters.
On January 12, 2017, the Lagos State Police Command detained Sowore in response to a petition filed by Lekan Fatodu, a magazine publisher. Later that evening, Sowore confirmed the incident in a video posted on his Facebook page, accusing the police of helping Fatodu when he assaulted him at the F Area Police Command.
Sowore was arrested by the DSS on August 3, 2019, ahead of the scheduled #RevolutionNow national rally. Wole Soyinka, Oby Ezekwesili and many other activists attacked the Federal Government after it admitted to the arrest. He was later accused of “conspiracy to betray and insult President Muhammadu Buhari”.
On September 24, 2019, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted Sowore bail, on the condition that he surrender his international passport within 48 hours.
The DSS refused to release Sowore, claiming he was unaware of the court order. The DSS’s refusal to release Sowore sparked protests at the UN Plaza in New York, led by Sowore’s wife, and sparked a global outcry over Nigeria’s failed democracy.
On 29 September 2019, Sowore made his first media appearance after being in prison. He revealed how he was abused, including being locked in a dark room without sunlight.
He further stated that “Boko Haram commanders who engage in high-level terrorism have access to telephone, TV and even cable in their cells”, while he was denied such access.
On December 5, 2019, the court released Sowore after finding that he met the bail conditions. However, a wind of change was felt in court when DSS operatives fled the scene to re-arrest him. It was finally released on December 24, 2019.
On December 8, 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to compensate Omoyele Sowore 2 million Naira for the illegal confiscation of his mobile phone during his arrest in 2019.
Omoyele Sowore filed a suit against the Nigerian Police and three others in March 2022 at the Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged violations of his fundamental human rights.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) detained Sowore at the Murtala Muhammed Airport upon his arrival from the United States in September 2024 for allegedly planning another protest in October.
He was released after a brief detention and confiscation of his passport, according to a post on his Verified X (formerly Twitter).
Sowore founded Sahara Reporters in New York in 2006 to fight against corrupt and unethical government practices. Sahara Reporters is funded by the Ford Foundation and the Omidyar Network. As part of its stance, Sahara does not receive advertising or financial support from the Nigerian government.
On 25 February 2018, Sowore announced his desire to run for president in the 2019 Nigerian general election. In August 2018, he launched the African Action Congress (AAC), which he plans to run for in 2019.
After winning the primaries at the AAC national convention on October 6, 2018, Omoyele Sowore was declared the party’s presidential candidate unopposed.
After traveling to several states in Nigeria and meeting luminaries such as the Emir of Kano and Wole Soyinka, Sowore embarked on a fundraising trip to Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. He was in Luton, England on 11/10/2018.
Sowore also ran as his party’s presidential candidate (AAC) in the 2023 general election, when he got 14,608 votes in what he said was an “election”.
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won with 15,191,847 votes while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party finished second with 11,264,977 votes.
Sowore finished fifth with 33,953 votes, ahead of other newcomers in the contest, including Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN), who got 16,779 votes, and Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Democratic Party (YPP), who got 21,886 votes.
On 1 March 2022, Sowore announced his desire to run for president in the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
Polemics
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has been detained in Kuje 2026 prison after he got involved in an altercation. The scandal stemmed from his statements on social media where he called President Bola Tinubu a “criminal”.
This statement was published on his “X” and Facebook accounts, and the DSS filed a two-count cybercrime indictment against him. The court revoked Sowore’s bail and issued a warrant for his arrest, and the proceedings continue on June 24, 2026.
Sowore’s legal team had earlier decided to represent him alone after he withdrew from the case. The case was adjourned until 24 June 2026 to consider the application for a stay of execution.
Personal life
Sowore and his family lived in Haworth, New Jersey, United States. In September 2021, it was reported that Sowore’s younger brother was killed by herdsmen or kidnappers in Edo.
In October 2019, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court banned Sowore from traveling outside Abuja. According to Sowore, the restriction prevented him from attending his brother’s funeral.
Omoyele Sowora Net Worth
Omoyela Sowora’s net worth is said to be between $10 million and $15 million. He is known as the founder of the Sahara Reporters portal, which significantly increased his earnings. Sowore is also considered a prominent human rights activist and politician in Nigeria.
Social media
X: @sowore
