ABUJA, NIGERIA – Prominent human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has made a stunning allegation against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, claiming that he secretly funded Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, to launch the aggressive Yoruba Nation secessionist agitation to undermine the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Loading ...Speaking during an appearance on a broadcast interview, Sowore alleged that the ethnic agitation was not a purely organic movement, but rather a calculated political leverage scheme engineered by Tinubu to secure his presidential candidacy when he faced heavy resistance from the northern political block.
The Blackmail Strategy
According to Sowore, the financial and political backing of Sunday Igboho began when Tinubu realized that powerful northern forces within the ruling All Progressives Congress were plotting to deny him the party’s presidential ticket despite his instrumental role in bringing Buhari to power in 2015.
Sowore stated that Tinubu weaponized the self-determination struggle as a tool of political blackmail against the presidency, threatening to split the country if his presidential ambitions were frustrated by the northern establishment.
Sowore alleged that Tinubu funded Igboho because, when facing resistance from northern political forces, he used the Yoruba Nation agitation to threaten a split from Nigeria to force his candidacy.
The Special Forces Raid
Sowore claimed that the July 2021 Department of State Services raid on Igboho’s Ibadan residence was a direct retaliation by Buhari, who recognized the political maneuvering behind the secessionist rhetoric. He stated that Buhari bypassed local authorities and deployed special forces from Abuja to neutralize the movement.
A Bitter War of Words
Following these claims, a sharp dispute arose between the two activists. Sowore dismissed Igboho’s past campaigns as a transactional, personal venture. In response, Igboho criticized Sowore’s activism, asserting that his campaign was focused on protecting regional lives from attackers, not personal gain, and defended his support for President Tinubu. The presidency and the ruling party have not formally responded to these allegations.
