By Samuel Olusegun Precious
A dramatic twist has surfaced in the electioneering campaign ahead of the 2027 General Election following a formal request by the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to use the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, for the inauguration of his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.
The request has generated widespread reactions after the letter dated October 21, 2026, and signed by AAC National Secretary, Oshiokhue Philip Ikhuioghena, and addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Sowore asked for approval to use Aso Rock for the event slated for November 11, 2026 was made public.
The party also requested food, drinks and other logistical support for about 5,000 participants expected from across Nigeria and abroad. The AAC noted that the request was anchored on the principles of multiparty democracy, political inclusiveness, fairness and equal treatment of political parties, citing that similar access was recently granted to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for its own campaign council inauguration at the State House.
APC Reacts: “Sowore is a Skit Maker”
In its reaction a national private television, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, dismissed Sowore’s request as political comedy.
“Sowore is a skit maker. He knows that will not happen. Let him struggle to even get a seat in the House of Assembly as a political party and then people will begin to take him seriously,” Basiru said.
“Even rejected ballot papers had more votes than his party in the 2023 election. So that means that rejected ballot paper is more popular than his political party. So he’s just making skits.”Basiru, who said Sowore was his friend and fellow comrade from student union activism days, maintained that the AAC candidate was not serious about the 2027 race, describing the letter as an attempt to make a political statement rather than a genuine campaign move.
Sowore Fires Back
Sowore, also in his response on X, claimed that he helped Basiru gain admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after he was expelled from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), sharing a throwback photo from 1998 when he led the Congress of Progressive Youths (COPY) during the pro-democracy struggle against military rule.
The letter has since sparked debate on social media, with Nigerians divided over whether opposition parties should have equal access to public facilities and whether the seat of power should host partisan political activities.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency has not issued an official response to the AAC’s request.
