APC Chieftain Igbokwe Urges Sowore To Apologize For Branding President Tinubu Criminal, Cites Achievements As Evidence

 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has openly criticized activist and politician Omoyele Sowore for describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a criminal. The statement, made by Sowore, did not sit well with Igbokwe who used his social media platform to call for a retraction and a formal apology to the president.

Igbokwe reminded Sowore that Bola Tinubu is not his equal in status, exposure or political relevance. According to him, Tinubu has made remarkable contributions to governance and development in Nigeria over the past three decades. He noted that anyone who undermines such a figure with unguarded language is also disrespecting millions of Nigerians who participated in the electoral process that brought Tinubu into office.

In a strongly worded message, Igbokwe shared his disappointment, revealing his long-standing familiarity with Sowore. He explained that he had first known the activist through his mutual friend Peter Claver, with whom Sowore studied at the University of Lagos. Their past relationship made the activist’s remarks more shocking to him.

Igbokwe wrote that he was “stunned into disbelief and in total shock” at the choice of words used by Sowore. He explained that even if Sowore disagrees with Tinubu politically, decorum and respect should guide his public conduct. He urged him to retract what he called “shameful scurrilous drivels” and issue a sincere apology to the president and the Nigerian public.

He went on to highlight Tinubu’s pedigree, stressing that the president is not only a chartered accountant of international repute but also an accomplished politician. From serving as a senator, to leading Lagos State as governor for eight years, to now holding the highest office in the land, Igbokwe said Tinubu’s record speaks volumes about his capacity and relevance in Nigerian history. He claimed no living or deceased Nigerian has touched lives across the country in the way Tinubu has managed to do.

Adding a personal comparison, Igbokwe criticized Sowore’s trajectory since leaving the University of Lagos. According to him, apart from leading the student union during his undergraduate years, Sowore’s main activities have centered around protests, frequent run-ins with the law, and prolonged court cases. He described him as “Mr Protester of Nigeria” whose lifestyle has become repetitive, unproductive and increasingly irrelevant in national discourse.

Igbokwe also referenced Sowore’s family situation, claiming that while Sowore continues his activism in Nigeria, his wife and children live and work in the United States. He questioned why Sowore would sacrifice meaningful progress for endless street protests, acrimony, and division.

“These activities are getting diminished everyday and do not make sense to people like us again,” Igbokwe wrote. He said that Sowore’s constant confrontational approach no longer appeals to Nigerians, describing it as arrogant, silly and dangerous. He warned his old friend that such behavior was taking him down a path that leads nowhere.

Taking a broader perspective, Igbokwe insisted that labeling a sitting president as a criminal amounts to indirectly tagging the entire Nigerian electorate as criminals, since they were the ones who voted him into power. He called this line of reasoning kindergarten, horrible, and frightening. For him, it was a joke that had taken on dangerous proportions.

He emphasized that his intervention was not just out of loyalty to the APC or Tinubu, but also as a friend who still cares for Sowore. According to him, his advice is a minimum demand: Sowore must retract the statement and apologize to Tinubu and Nigerians. Anything short of that would be unacceptable.

This latest clash highlights the ongoing tension between government loyalists and vocal critics of the administration. While Sowore has built his reputation on radical activism and resistance against successive Nigerian governments, Tinubu’s allies are determined to shield the president from attacks they consider disrespectful or unfounded.

As debates continue about freedom of speech and the limits of criticism against public officials, this confrontation between Joe Igbokwe and Omoyele Sowore further underscores the polarized state of Nigerian politics. Whether Sowore will bow to pressure and apologize remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Igbokwe has thrown down a gauntlet in defense of President Tinubu’s integrity.