Sowore criticises state governors, sparks public debate

by Imisioluwa Afunmiso

Nigerian politician and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has again criticised state governors, claiming they lack legitimacy and contribute to poor governance.

In a post shared in the early hours of Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sowore accused the governors of “holding Nigeria back,” questioning the legitimacy of their mandates.

“Shameless state governors. These are the ‘elected’ jokers holding Nigeria back, governing on a mandate that lacks legitimacy and dragging the country in the wrong direction through their individually misgoverned states,” he tweeted.

The post has since generated reactions on X, with one user in the comment section stating that Sowore’s continued relevance is tied to the country’s challenges.

The user suggested that improvements in Nigeria’s socio-political conditions could reduce the visibility of activist figures like him.

“And that is the part people avoid saying plainly: if Nigeria ever genuinely gets better, Sowore fades. Not because he is silenced, but because the conditions that sustain him disappear.

“He has been relevant since his student activist days for one reason: Nigeria has consistently declined. His visibility rises with national failure. That is not leadership. That is dependence,” the user said.