Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has revealed that he asked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to apologise following their heated exchange at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News, Sowore said Amaechi had benefited from Nigeria’s democracy, which he himself fought to establish, and therefore owed him respect. 

He stressed that his political experience should not be judged solely by whether he had held public office, but by his decades-long activism for democracy and good governance.

“I told him after the event, you should have apologised to me,” Sowore recounted. “He invited me to his house for food and drinks, but I declined jokingly, saying I didn’t want to be poisoned.”

Sowore argued that without his struggle against military rule, Amaechi would not have risen to become Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, governor, or Minister of Transportation. 

He criticised Amaechi’s record, particularly in transportation policy, claiming projects like the rail line in Rivers State failed to deliver meaningful benefits.

The clash between the two escalated when Amaechi told Sowore to “close your mouth” during the NBA session. 

Sowore later insisted that his activism constituted leadership experience, rejecting the notion that only those with prior government roles qualify to run for president.

He also reiterated his opposition to fuel subsidy removal, saying the economic hardship Nigerians now face vindicates his earlier warnings. 

Taking another swipe at Amaechi, Sowore declared the former governor was not an “Excellency” because he had not done anything excellent for Nigeria.

The confrontation came during a political session where other figures, including Peter Obi and Adewole Adebayo, discussed governance, insecurity, and Nigeria’s future ahead of the 2027 elections.

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