The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has ridiculed African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore over his request to use the Presidential Villa as the venue for his 2027 campaign launch.
Basiru dismissed Sowore’s political standing, describing the activist as a comedian and skit maker rather than a serious contender for political office.
Sowore had reportedly written to the relevant authorities seeking approval to hold his campaign launch at the seat of Nigeria’s presidency.
Reacting during an interview on Channels Television, Basiru was asked whether he would advise the APC-led administration to grant the request.
The APC national secretary responded by questioning Sowore’s electoral strength and challenging him to first demonstrate his popularity in legislative elections.
Basiru said, “Sowore is a skit maker. Let him struggle to even get a seat in the House of Assembly as a politician, and then people will begin to take him seriously.”
He also referred to the 2023 general election, claiming that rejected ballot papers attracted more votes than the AAC.
According to Basiru, the party’s performance in the last presidential election raised questions about its level of support among voters.
“Even rejected ballot paper had more votes than his party in 2023 election. So that means that rejected ballot paper is more popular than his political party. So he’s just making skits,” he said.
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Despite his criticism, Basiru acknowledged that he had a longstanding relationship with Sowore, saying they had worked together during earlier political struggles.
He, however, maintained that the AAC candidate was not a serious electoral challenger.
Basiru added that he would describe Sowore as a comedian if they met, insisting that the activist’s request to campaign at the Presidential Villa was not a realistic political proposition.
