The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has criticised the remand of African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, describing the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy and judicial independence.
Addressing journalists in Owerri, Imo State, on Tuesday, the National President of the organisation, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, alleged that the Federal High Court judge handling the matter, Justice Mohammad Umar, was being used to advance the interests of the Federal Government.
Igboayaka claimed that recent developments surrounding Sowore’s case raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary, warning that actions perceived as targeting opposition figures could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.
He accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of exhibiting what he described as executive excesses and impunity, alleging that opposition voices were increasingly being subjected to legal and political pressure.
According to him, the judiciary should remain impartial and resist any attempt to be drawn into political contests, stressing that the courts must be seen as protectors of justice rather than instruments of political persecution.
The OYC president further alleged that the current political climate was pushing the country towards instability, claiming that excessive concentration of influence within the executive, legislature and judiciary could weaken democratic governance.
He called on Justice Umar to withdraw from the Sowore case in order to preserve public confidence in the judicial process and avoid what he described as a potential miscarriage of justice.
Igboayaka also referenced past public comments made by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Reno Omokri, regarding President Tinubu before the 2023 general election, arguing that such remarks had become part of the broader public debate surrounding the ongoing legal proceedings.
He maintained that the Federal Government should concentrate more on tackling the nation’s security and economic challenges, including banditry, kidnapping and insurgency, rather than pursuing cases against political opponents.
The group urged President Tinubu, the Department of State Services and the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene in the matter and ensure what it called a fair and transparent judicial process.
It also called for the withdrawal of all charges against Sowore, insisting that such a step would help strengthen democratic values and allow the government to focus on addressing the country’s pressing challenges.