Omoyele Sowore entered Nigeria’s political arena with the reputation of an activist journalist and the defiance of a protest organiser. His presidential campaigns in 2019 and 2023 did not produce significant vote totals, but his activism, especially the #RevolutionNow mobilisation of 2019, pushed him into the centre of a national argument about free speech, public order, and the limits of state power.
This is the timeline of the elections, the protests, the arrests, the bail battles, and the eventual discontinuance that ended one of Nigeria’s most prominent political trials of the past decade.
From Activist Journalism to Presidential Politics
Sowore is widely known as the founder of Sahara Reporters, an online news platform that built its profile on investigative reporting and anti corruption exposure. Ahead of the 2019 general elections, he moved from journalism into direct political participation.
He became the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, a party registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in 2018. As a relatively new party, AAC lacked the extensive grassroots machinery of Nigeria’s dominant political platforms. Sowore’s campaign leaned heavily on social media outreach, town hall meetings, and mobilisation among young voters and the diaspora.
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The 2019 Presidential Election
Nigeria’s presidential election held on 23 February 2019 delivered victory to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress. According to INEC’s officially declared results, Buhari secured 15,191,847 votes, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party received 11,262,978 votes, and Omoyele Sowore received 33,953 votes.
Sowore’s tally placed him among the lower vote getting candidates in the race. While his electoral performance was modest, his political messaging remained outspoken, focusing on systemic reform, anti corruption, and structural change in governance.
#RevolutionNow and Arrest
In July 2019, Sowore announced nationwide protests scheduled for 5 August 2019 under the banner #RevolutionNow. He described the movement as a call for systemic change in response to insecurity, corruption, and economic hardship.
On 3 August 2019, operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, arrested him in Lagos. He was subsequently arraigned on charges that included treasonable felony and other related offences.
The arrest generated national and international attention. Civil society groups, legal bodies, and political commentators closely followed the proceedings as the case moved through the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Bail Conditions and Court Proceedings
On 4 October 2019, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court granted Sowore bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum. The court imposed additional conditions, including restrictions related to rallies and public gatherings and limitations on movement during the pendency of the trial.
On 21 October 2019, the court reviewed aspects of the bail conditions while maintaining the core bail framework. The case proceeded with further hearings and adjournments over the following years.
The prolonged proceedings and repeated court appearances kept Sowore’s case in the public eye, turning it into one of the most closely watched political trials of the period.
Subsequent Arrests and Protests
Sowore’s confrontations with law enforcement continued beyond the initial 2019 episode. On 31 December 2020, he was arrested again during a protest in Abuja and later faced charges linked to unlawful assembly and related allegations before securing bail.
In 2021, he remained active in public demonstrations, including protests at Unity Fountain in Abuja that led to further clashes with security agencies. These events reinforced his image as a persistent protest figure willing to challenge state authority in public spaces.
The 2023 Presidential Election
Sowore contested again under the AAC platform in the 25 February 2023 presidential election. INEC declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu the winner of the election. Nigerian news outlets reported that Sowore received 14,608 votes in the declared outcome.
Following the announcement, Sowore publicly rejected the credibility of the election results and maintained his criticism of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Discontinuance of Treasonable Felony Charges
In February 2024, the Federal Government filed a notice of discontinuance through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation. On 19 February 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out the treasonable felony charge against Sowore.
The discontinuance brought an end to the long running prosecution connected to the #RevolutionNow protests. The case concluded without conviction.
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A Political Figure Defined by Protest
Omoyele Sowore’s political journey has been shaped less by electoral numbers and more by confrontation with state authority. His campaigns provided a platform for his reform agenda, but it was the 2019 protest mobilisation and the legal battle that followed that defined his public image.
From arrest and strict bail conditions to years of court appearances and eventual discontinuance, his story reflects a period in Nigeria’s democratic life marked by tension between protest movements and state security responses.
Author’s Note
Sowore’s story shows how political ambition, street protest, and the courtroom can converge in a single life. His experience underscores the enduring friction between dissent and authority in Nigeria’s democracy. The arrests, the bail conditions, and the final discontinuance illustrate how protest can reshape a political career and leave a lasting imprint on national debate.
References
Independent National Electoral Commission, Official 2019 Presidential Election Declaration of Results
International Centre for Investigative Reporting, Court reporting on Sowore’s bail ruling, 4 October 2019
Premium Times, Court varies Sowore’s bail conditions, 21 October 2019
Channels Television, Federal High Court strikes out treasonable felony charge, 19 February 2024
Premium Times, Court strikes out treasonable felony charges against Sowore, February 2024
TheCable, Sowore rejects presidential election result, March 2023
