Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has declared that Nigeria has never truly become a democratic nation, insisting that the country only experienced a transition from military to civilian rule without adopting the fundamental principles of democracy. Sowore made the statement on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, during an interview on Arise Television's 'Prime Time', shortly after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre following the granting of a ₦200 million bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
"Nigeria had a transition to civil rule, but never became a democratic nation. We don't have the basic tenets of democracy," Sowore said. "Because the military left and abandoned us with a constitution we didn't know how it was written doesn't mean we have democratic rule". His remarks come just days after he regained his freedom from the Kuje Correctional Centre, where he had been remanded on June 22, 2026, following the revocation of his bail by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Sowore had been standing trial over allegations of defamation of President Bola Tinubu, stemming from comments he made on social media.
During the interview, Sowore also addressed concerns about free speech, insisting that limitations to freedom of expression should be regulated according to the law and not by those in power. "If the law says you can speak truth to power, nobody should have the right to prevent you from expressing yourself. They are interested only in punishing me without conviction," he said.
The activist's comments echo his long-held position on the state of Nigeria's democracy. In previous interviews, he had argued that Nigeria had only transitioned from military dictatorship to civilian rule but was yet to achieve true democracy, pointing to what he described as a culture of intimidation and hypocrisy. He has also drawn attention to the irony of being arrested more times under civilian rule than during military rule, noting that he had spent months in detention under democratic governments.
His latest remarks have reignited the debate over the quality of Nigeria's democracy, with critics and supporters alike weighing in on his assertion that the country lacks the basic tenets of democratic governance. As the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum, Sowore's position underscores the growing frustration among opposition figures and civil society activists over what they perceive as the erosion of democratic space in Nigeria.
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