2027 Race: Sowore Slams Opposition’s Elite Coalition as ‘Destiny Rustlers’

Omoyele Sowore, prominent activist and former presidential candidate, has fiercely condemned the opposition coalition rallying to unseat President Tinubu in 2027, calling its leaders “destiny rustlers” who helped bring Nigeria to its current woes. Speaking on Arise News, Sowore said the coalition, led by familiar political faces, is a distraction from a genuine people’s movement.

Sowore excoriated key players—Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El‑Rufai, Peter Obi, David Mark, and Rotimi Amaechi—arguing they are politically “tired” and complicit in Nigeria’s decline. “They’re destiny rustlers just as you talk about cattle rustlers,” he declared, emphasizing their history within the political elite.

He insisted he will not align with their movement, urging Nigerians instead to build an “opposition of the oppressed.” He warned that the current coalition, lacking ideology and conviction, risks bolstering President Tinubu’s re-election bid by posing as a credible alternative.

Sowore described the coalition as “lonely” and devoid of substance: “Any coalition without ideology is a lonely coalition. There’s no coalition without conviction, character, or integrity”—a pointed critique of arrangements he believes are elite-driven power plays .

He also dismissed INEC’s recent approval of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), formed under Atiku’s leadership, arguing that registering more elite-backed parties only divides the oppressed and plays into the hands of the ruling class.

Calling on Nigerians to steer clear from reruns of the APC formula, he urged grassroots mobilization. “What they’re building is not a genuine coalition of the marginalised; it’s a distraction,” he cautioned, stressing that real change must originate from the masses—not recycled political alliances.

As the coalition prepares to contest under ADA, having submitted their application among 110 new party applications to INEC by June 23, 2025, Sowore’s warning stands as a rallying cry. He urged citizens to rethink their political approach: avoid elite-driven distractions, and instead craft a coalition grounded in struggle, vision, and integrity.