Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has issued a fiery and unflinching warning to the Nigerian political establishment, vowing to shut down the country and resist any attempt to steal his mandate in the 2027 elections, even if it costs him his life. Sowore made the declaration on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, during a plenary session at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he joined other presidential candidates, including Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Donald Duke, in rejecting the tradition of conceding defeat in elections marred by irregularities.
Sowore's remarks were a direct attack on politicians who failed to defend their mandates in past elections. He warned voters not to repeat what he called the mistakes of the 2023 election, when some politicians allegedly won mandates but abandoned them without a fight. "In case you don't know, there are people in this hall, in large numbers, in 2023, who voted in an election, said they won, and abandoned the mandate. They did nothing to fight for their mandates. Don't make that mistake of voting for those kinds of people again in your life," Sowore said.
The AAC candidate specifically referenced former Kogi State senator Dino Melaye, whom he described as a former friend, who had raised concerns about how candidates would protect their votes. "Senator Dino Melaye, my former friend. Yes. And he was asking, and I agree with him truthfully, that how are we going to protect our votes," Sowore said.
In a direct challenge to the political class, Sowore declared that he would personally resist any attempt to deny him victory at the polls. "I am standing here. If anybody takes a vote on an election I won, the person will not be president of Nigeria, I can assure you that. Even if it takes my life," he vowed.
Sowore insisted that elections must be concluded transparently at polling units rather than through judicial declarations. "It is the reason why we must not rely on judges and lawyers to determine our elections," Sowore said. "We don't want our elections to go to your courts again. We must determine the winner of the election on the day of the election, so that the only thing a lawyer will do in an election is to help us swear in the winner of the election. Nothing more, nothing less."
He warned that his supporters would not accept an unfair or non-credible election. "If we can't get that, we shut down the country until we get the right leader who won an election," he said. "There is no way we can win if we don't fight. And there is no way we can lose, since we are fighters."
The AAC flag bearer also took aim at politicians who he said had abandoned their mandates after the 2023 elections, accusing them of failing to fight for the votes they claimed to have won. He urged Nigerians to be more discerning in their choices ahead of the 2027 polls. "There is no way we can win if we don't fight. And there is no way we can lose, since we are fighters," Sowore added.
Sowore's vow to shut down the country over a stolen mandate has drawn sharp reactions, with some praising his resolve and others warning that such rhetoric could incite violence. The AAC candidate has consistently positioned himself as a revolutionary figure, rejecting what he calls the "corrupt elite system" and calling for a radical reset of Nigeria's political order.
The NBA conference session also saw other presidential candidates align with Sowore's stance against flawed electoral processes. Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, questioned why any candidate should accept a tainted result. "Why should I accept something that is wrong?" Duke asked. "If it's not fair, I will not accept it. I may not go to the court, but personally, I will not accept it."
As the 2027 elections draw closer, Sowore's warning has set a combative tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested political battle. The AAC candidate has made it clear that he will not be a passive participant in Nigeria's electoral process, and that any attempt to deny him victory will be met with fierce resistance, even if it means shutting down the country.
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