African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called for an end to corruption, oppression, injustice and poverty in Nigeria, arguing that the country has yet to fulfil the promises of independence for millions of citizens.
Sowore made the remarks in a statement shared on X on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as Nigeria commemorated its 66th Independence Anniversary.
Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960.
The AAC candidate said Nigerians deserved a country where citizens could enjoy freedom, dignity, equal rights and access to basic services, rather than continue to battle poverty, hunger, unemployment and insecurity.
According to him, Nigeria cannot claim to have achieved true independence when millions of citizens remain unable to enjoy basic benefits associated with freedom and good governance.
Sowore said the promises of freedom, prosperity, justice and equality made at independence remained unfulfilled for many Nigerians.
He argued that Independence Day celebrations should not overshadow the economic and social difficulties confronting ordinary citizens.
The activist also raised concerns about the state of education, healthcare and electricity, saying many Nigerians continue to struggle to access essential services.
He criticised the condition of public hospitals, inadequate electricity supply and the inability of many workers to earn wages sufficient to meet their basic needs.
Sowore also accused successive governments of failing to properly utilise Nigeria’s human and natural resources, insisting that citizens should not be blamed for the country’s challenges.
He described Nigerians as hardworking, creative, resilient and resourceful, while arguing that successive administrations had failed to translate the country’s resources into improved living conditions.
The AAC presidential candidate said Nigerians deserved living wages, accessible education and healthcare, reliable electricity and an environment where young people could build meaningful lives.
He further called for improved security for farmers and greater protection of citizens’ rights, particularly the right to criticise those in power without facing arrest, abuse or imprisonment.
Sowore maintained that Nigeria’s independence should go beyond the country’s freedom from British colonial rule, stressing the need to address internal challenges that continue to affect citizens.
He said the responsibility of the present generation was not merely to celebrate the independence achieved in 1960 but to work towards what he described as genuine freedom.
The activist called for an end to corruption, oppression, poverty, injustice, ethnic manipulation, religious intolerance and divisive politics.
He said Nigeria needed a system that prioritised the interests and welfare of all citizens rather than a privileged few.