‘You’re Dishonest’ — Basiru Fires Back at Sowore Over UNILAG Admission Claim

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has engaged in a war of words with the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, following the latter’s description of him as a “skit maker” and “comedian.”

The exchange began after Sowore criticised Basiru for making the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye. Sowore subsequently took to X to challenge Basiru’s comments, recalling their shared history in the struggle against military dictatorship in Nigeria.

Sowore, who said he led the Congress of Progressive Youths (COPY) in 1998, shared a photograph of himself with Basiru, claiming that they were both involved in pro-democracy activism during their younger years.

He also alleged that he had received Basiru and a fellow student activist, Kunle Adegoke, popularly known as K-Rad, at the University of Lagos after they were expelled from the University of Ilorin in 1992 over student activism.

According to Sowore, he and others provided an enabling environment for the two to secure admission to study Law at the University of Lagos.

He argued that the struggle for democracy, justice, freedom and human dignity should not be ridiculed as comedy, accusing Basiru of abandoning the principles they once defended because of the privileges attached to his current political position.

Sowore also maintained that political appointments and administrations were temporary, insisting that the struggle for freedom would outlast the present administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“What is truly comical is watching yesterday’s beneficiaries of resistance become today’s defenders of the very oppression they once fought against,” Sowore wrote, using the hashtag #RevolutionNow.

Basiru Denies Sowore’s Admission Claim

In his response, Basiru dismissed Sowore’s account of his admission to the University of Lagos, describing the claim that Sowore helped provide an enabling environment for him to gain admission as dishonest.

The APC national secretary said he had no relationship with Sowore before securing admission to the institution, insisting that his admission was based on academic merit.

Basiru claimed he scored 310 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which he said was the highest score among applicants to the university’s Faculty of Law in the year he gained admission.

“I did not have any relationship with you before I got admitted to the University of Lagos,” Basiru stated.

He added that it was false to suggest that Sowore or anyone else facilitated his admission, maintaining that he earned his place at the institution through his examination performance.

Basiru also defended his description of Sowore as a comedian, arguing that he did not believe the activist currently had a realistic chance of becoming Nigeria’s president.

“I honestly mean my statement that you are a comedian as I do not believe you yourself believe you have any chance in winning the contest for president of Nigeria, at least for now,” he wrote.

The APC chieftain further accused Sowore of misleading young people by portraying himself as a revolutionary and freedom fighter.

The exchange has brought their differing accounts of their past relationship and political activism into focus, with Sowore emphasising their shared history in the pro-democracy struggle and Basiru insisting that his academic achievements were independent of any assistance from the activist.Alternative Headlines