Fiery human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has accused supporters of President Bola Tinubu, officials of the Ekiti State Government and security operatives of shielding individuals involved in an attack on him and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti.
Sowore, in a post on Saturday, November 7, stated that one of the principal suspects identified as Ayodeji Akintade Ifeoluwa, popularly known as “AK”, resurfaced publicly, participating in campaign activities for Tinubu alongside executives of the Ekiti State chapter of the City Boys Movement.
The AAC presidential candidate reiterated that AK was among the armed attackers his team identified from video footage of the October 30, 2026 attempted assassination.
He recalled that the suspect was captured in the footage wielding a machete and violently attacking members of his team in broad daylight.
Sowore expressed outrage that despite the public identification of the alleged attacker, the Nigeria Police Force had neither arrested him nor provided a satisfactory explanation of the investigative steps taken over the incident.
“Here is Ayodeji Akintade Ifeoluwa, popularly known as ‘AK’, whom we identified as one of the armed attackers who attempted to assassinate me and members of my team in Ado-Ekiti on October 30, 2026, openly participating in Thursday’s campaign activities for Bola Ahmed Tinubu alongside executives of the Ekiti State chapter of the City Boys Movement!” Sowore said.
“This is the same individual we identified in video footage wielding a machete and violently attacking members of our team in broad daylight.
“Yet, to date, the Nigeria Police Force has not arrested him or publicly explained what investigative steps it has taken concerning his alleged involvement.”
Sowore accused the Ekiti chapter of the City Boys Movement of attempting to distance itself from the violence after his team began identifying individuals allegedly involved in the attack.
He also accused Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration of having connections to some of the individuals allegedly involved in the incident.
According to Sowore, his team conducted an independent investigation and uncovered information allegedly linking individuals associated with the state government to the attack.
He further alleged that phones and electronic devices stolen from members of his team during the incident were traced to locations within the Government House and Governor’s Lodge in Ado-Ekiti.
“When the City Boy Movement Ekiti chapter hurriedly denied involvement in the attack, its leadership never imagined we would obtain video footage and identify individuals we believe participated in the violence,” he stated.
“Governor [Biodun Oyebanji] and his administration probably never anticipated that we would conduct our own independent investigation, uncover information linking individuals associated with his government to the attack, and trace phones and devices stolen from us to locations inside the Government House and Governor’s Lodge in Ado-Ekiti.”
Sowore said authorities allegedly became silent after his team publicly disclosed the findings of its investigation.
He also accused the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, of initially downplaying the incident by describing it as a mere “altercation”.
Sowore further alleged that police officers removed CCTV equipment from the restaurant where the violence occurred and later returned it with the recordings erased.
He said that his team had also received information suggesting that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were involved in handling the CCTV evidence and tracking and disclosing his movements in Ekiti State.
Sowore said the police had failed to provide a convincing explanation after his team released video footage showing the alleged brutality of the attack.
Instead, he alleged, the police hurriedly arraigned 11 persons before a Chief Magistrate’s Court, where they were granted bail.
According to him, none of the 11 persons arraigned was among the principal attackers his team had publicly identified.
Sowore also renewed allegations against several individuals he claimed were connected to the planning, financing or execution of the attack.
He specifically mentioned Asiwaju Kasali Oluwafemi, whom he identified as the Ekiti State leader of the City Boys Movement, accusing him of previously issuing threats against him and celebrating the violence because he allegedly had prior knowledge of the attack.
Sowore also questioned why no action has been taken against Asefon Sunday Dayo, a former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Tinubu’s aide on student engagement.
He noted that his sources accused Asefon of mobilising and financing armed men for the attack, allegedly with backing from the Presidency.
Sowore further mentioned Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, President Tinubu’s son-in-law and Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), whom he accused of allegedly assisting in the mobilisation of the attackers.
He also demanded answers concerning the whereabouts and alleged involvement of Sola Adenijo, popularly known as “Solar”, whom he identified as a principal leader of the attackers on the ground.
Sowore alleged that Adenijo, who he said was the treasurer of the City Boys Movement in Ekiti State, played a leading role in the violence.
He also questioned the role of Makinde Araoye, an organiser of the Ikogosi Marathon, whom he accused of allegedly having prior knowledge of the attack.
Sowore further named CSP Ayodele Akinlua, the Chief Security Officer to Governor Oyebanji, alleging that the security officer warned hours before the violence that his safety could not be guaranteed.
He also accused former Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander, CSP Marcus Olaosebikan Ogundola, of being present alongside police personnel during the attack and participating in efforts to interfere with CCTV evidence.
Sowore warned that those allegedly involved in the attack appeared to be relying on the passage of time and public distraction to escape accountability.
“They are hoping this crime will disappear from public attention like so many other cases of political violence in Nigeria. They are mistaken,” he declared.
The October 30 incident has raised fresh concerns about political violence, the alleged use of armed groups by political actors and the conduct of security agencies during politically sensitive incidents in Nigeria.
Sowore’s latest allegations also place renewed scrutiny on the Ekiti State Police Command, the state government and the City Boys Movement over the investigation of the incident and the alleged failure to bring the identified suspects to justice.
(SaharaReporters)