African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has said former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was among politicians who benefited directly from the democratic system he fought to establish in Nigeria.

Sowore made the claim while revisiting his heated exchange with Amaechi at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.

Speaking on ARISE News on Tuesday, Sowore said he later called Amaechi and demanded an apology over the confrontation.

According to him, Amaechi subsequently invited him to his house for food and drinks, an invitation Sowore jokingly declined over fears of being poisoned.

“That’s why I said to him after the event, I called him and said, you should have apologised to me, and he asked me to come over to his house to eat and drink a beer,” Sowore said.

“And I said, no, I don’t want you to poison me, because I know you’re not happy. I don’t think he would do that. No, I mean, I’m just kidding.”

Sowore argued that his years of activism against military rule helped create the democratic environment that enabled politicians such as Amaechi to rise through public office.

“If I didn’t fight for democracy, Rotimi Amaechi would not be standing there yesterday if we were still under military rule,” he said.

“He would never have been a speaker of the House for eight years, governor for eight years, minister for eight years. That’s one of the guys who benefited from my extraordinary struggle for democracy.”

Sowore also rejected suggestions that his lack of previous elected or appointed government office meant he lacked leadership experience.

According to him, leadership should not be measured only by years spent in government, but also by vision, advocacy and the ability to mobilise people towards a cause.

“That is why I’m saying that they owe me a lot for creating the avenue for them to become leaders. Even though they didn’t fight for what made them become leaders, I did,” he said.

The disagreement between Sowore and Amaechi erupted during the NBA conference after Sowore criticised the former Rivers governor’s record in office and his tenure as Minister of Transportation.

Sowore questioned some of the rail projects executed under Amaechi and also criticised his position on fuel subsidy.

Amaechi defended his record, pointing to road and school projects completed during his years as Rivers governor as well as major railway projects undertaken while he served as Transportation Minister.

The exchange became heated when Amaechi told Sowore: “When politicians are talking, close your mouth.”

Sowore has, however, maintained that the clash does not diminish what he considers his contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development.

He also renewed his criticism of the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that the hardship which followed the policy validated warnings he had made before its implementation