The fraternal bonds that once united Nigeria’s most vocal activists during the “Resume or Resign” protests of the Buhari era have shattered, replaced by a bitter public feud over the political direction of the Southeast.
At the center of the storm is Omoyele Sowore, the founder of Sahara Reporters and a two-time presidential candidate. Following a recent assessment of Abia State, Sowore delivered a stinging verdict on the administration of Governor Alex Otti. He dismissed the widely praised infrastructure projects in Aba as a “half-transformation,” declaring the Governor a failure for not pursuing a more radical, systemic overhaul.
The backlash was swift and personal. Charles “Charly Boy” Oputa, the veteran activist who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sowore on the frontlines, did not mince words. In a scathing rebuttal, Charly Boy labeled his former ally a “snake in the green grass,” accusing him of being an embedded “APC spy” whose criticisms are designed to destabilize one of the few opposition-led states showing visible progress.
Charly Boy’s critique went further, drawing a sharp comparison between Sowore and other controversial figures. He argued that while others are transparent about their motivations, Sowore “hides his hunger” behind a veil of activism.
The Abia State Government has since entered the fray, dismissing Sowore’s comments as a “cheap hatchet job” performed after a cursory, 24-hour visit. As the 2027 election cycle looms, this rift underscores a deepening divide within the activist community: one side demanding total revolution, and the other defending incremental progress against what they perceive as internal sabotage.
