Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, has criticised the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, describing him as a “public nuisance” and questioning his capacity to build a nationwide political structure.

Afegbua made the remarks during an interview on Arise News while reacting to Sowore’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu following the booing of the President by some youths in Abuja on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Sowore had accused Tinubu of hypocrisy, questioning why the President was now advocating peaceful political campaigns after experiencing hostility during his visit to the Shehu Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1, Garki, Abuja.

The incident occurred shortly after Tinubu attended Juma’at prayers at the mosque, where some youths were heard chanting “Ba ma yi, ba ma so”, a Hausa expression meaning “We don't want you” or “We don't support you”, as his convoy departed.

In a reaction posted on his X account, Sowore questioned the President's silence over alleged attacks on opposition politicians and their supporters across the country.

However, Afegbua dismissed Sowore's comments, arguing that someone aspiring to lead the country should demonstrate maturity, responsibility and decorum in public engagements.

“I don't want to listen to all of Sowore's rants because I see him more as a public nuisance,” the commissioner said.

He added that presidential candidates must understand the responsibility associated with seeking to lead a country of more than 250 million people.

“Leadership is a serious responsibility, and you cannot go around making flippant, ridiculous and reckless statements in the name of presenting yourself as a presidential candidate,” Afegbua stated.

He maintained that political ambition should be accompanied by a reasonable level of discipline, insisting that candidates must conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the position they seek to occupy.

The Edo commissioner also questioned Sowore's political reach, describing him as someone who fills a gap in Nigeria's political aspirations rather than a candidate with the organisational capacity to compete effectively nationwide.

According to Afegbua, establishing a functional political structure across all 774 local government areas would be a major challenge for the AAC presidential candidate.

He, however, acknowledged that politicians like Sowore play a role in expressing public frustration and providing an avenue for citizens to communicate their opinions.

Afegbua also defended Tinubu's call for adequate security for presidential candidates, arguing that the President's statement after the Abuja incident was consistent with an earlier directive to security agencies.

He said Tinubu had, two or three weeks before the mosque incident, instructed the Department of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies to ensure that all presidential candidates received adequate protection.

According to him, the President's latest remarks should therefore not be interpreted as a reaction prompted solely by the hostility he experienced in Abuja.

Afegbua further argued that Tinubu's political background gave him considerable experience in political struggles, noting that the President had faced difficult circumstances during his years in opposition.

He nevertheless stressed that occupying the presidency requires a broader sense of responsibility beyond party interests.

“President Tinubu is not just a member of the party. He's also the leader of the entire country,” he said, adding that the President has demonstrated that every Nigerian belongs, irrespective of political affiliation.

2027: Afegbua attacks Sowore over reaction to attack on Tinubu in Abuja mosque

The Ogun State chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has insisted that the executive committee led by Otunba Oluwafemi Soluade remains the legitimate leadership of the party in the state.

The party warned against attempts to impose a caretaker committee or create parallel leadership structures, describing such moves as a threat to internal democracy and its constitution.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary, Adesina Olanrewaju, the chapter said no individual, regardless of political influence, had the authority to remove an existing leadership structure without following the party's constitutional procedures.

It specifically mentioned Chief Rauf Aregbesola, insisting that he and other individuals could not unilaterally impose a caretaker arrangement on the state chapter.

"Ogun State is not a political playground, neither is the ADC in Ogun State anybody's personal estate where decisions can be imposed through arrogance, intimidation or unilateral administrative pronouncements," the statement said.

The party maintained that its elected executive committee could not be dissolved simply because some individuals wanted a different leadership arrangement to serve their political interests.

It also warned that it would not recognise any parallel leadership structure created outside the party's constitution.

The chapter cited court decisions on disputes over caretaker committees and the tenure of elected party executives.

It referred to a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja on April 29, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/581/2026, which it said affirmed the tenure of ADC State Working and Executive Committees.

The party also said the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against the judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/608/2026.

It further cited a November 3, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which declared the purported interim executive committee led by Afeez Adelowo Jimoh in Oyo State illegal and affirmed the four-year tenure of the Yinka Olona-led executive committee.

The Ogun chapter said the judgments reinforced the need for party leaders to respect constitutional provisions and court decisions.

It also cited Articles 2, 12, 13, 17 and 18 of the ADC Constitution, which deal with the supremacy of the party's constitution, the composition and functions of its organs, tenure of office and election of party officers.

"The judiciary is not a decoration. Court judgments are not political recommendations. The rule of law is not subject to anybody's personal interpretation or convenience," the statement added.

The chapter called on the national leadership of the ADC to intervene and prevent what it described as attempts to undermine the party's elected structure in Ogun State.

It also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and other stakeholders to respect existing court decisions and the party's constitutional provisions.

Ogun ADC insists on elected leadership, warns against political interference