Sowore claims APC controls most opposition parties in Nigeria, excluding his AAC.
He describes Labour Party as a “short rental” used by defectors with no real opposition intent.
Human rights advocate and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has made a bold claim that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) controls nearly all opposition political parties in Nigeria, with the exception of his own party, the African Action Congress (AAC).
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds on Sunday, Sowore said most opposition parties in the country are not genuinely independent but are rather created and sponsored by the APC for political convenience.
Sowore, who founded the AAC in 2018, insisted that his party remains the only true opposition among Nigeria’s 18 registered political parties. According to him, many smaller parties serve as “feeder parties” or “special purpose vehicles” for the ruling party, especially during election seasons.
He explained, “What we found out in our little research is that most of the parties that are left, apart from AAC, are parties that were created by the major parties. They call them feeder parties, or special purpose vehicles.
“And what they do is that when they want to go into election, they will fund candidates in those other parties, so that sometimes some of the candidates or the parties are meant to help them with legal challenge. So they all go and challenge the election, and whomever has won would approach either the opposition party or the smaller parties and settle them, and everybody gets paid and walk away, and they will hang around.”
Sowore also said he has noticed a pattern where supposed opposition parties fail to challenge the APC meaningfully. He cited interactions with other parties during meetings with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that those who should stand in opposition to the government often side with it.
“The people that oppose us the most when we go to meetings are these other smaller parties that you think are in the opposition,” he added.
When asked whether this observation includes the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), Sowore responded directly, saying, “Labour Party is the worst.”
He claimed that many members of the Labour Party have been defecting to the APC, which he believes reflects the party’s weak commitment to real opposition. “The Labor Party, I would say, is the worst when we go to meetings with them. And that is why most of the Labor Party candidates now are moving to the APC. They’ve always been very excited about belonging to the (ruling party),” he said.
Sowore went on to describe the Labour Party as a “short rental,” claiming that many of its candidates came from other mainstream parties like the PDP or APC and simply used the party as a temporary platform.
“In fact, that’s why I refer to the Labor Party as a short rental. Most of them that went to Labor Party saw an opportunity, they were coming from either PDP or APC. They walked in there, grabbed and then the moment they had the booty bag, they went back to where they’re coming from,” he alleged.
He concluded by warning that Nigeria is gradually heading toward a one-party system, accusing the ruling APC of creating artificial opposition parties to give the illusion of political diversity.
