Sowore: Nigerians Cannot Truly Celebrate 66th Independence Anniversary
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, has argued that Nigerians have little reason to celebrate the country's 66th Independence Anniversary, pointing to widespread poverty, hunger, joblessness and insecurity.
The human rights activist said true independence remains out of reach as long as citizens are denied freedom, dignity, justice and equality.
Sowore made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday, the day Nigeria marked 66 years since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1960. He said that despite the milestone, the core benefits that independence was supposed to bring have not reached millions of Nigerians.
"Today, Nigeria marks 66 years since the Union Jack was lowered and our green-white-green flag was raised. But for millions of Nigerians, the fundamental promise of independence, freedom, dignity, prosperity, justice, and equality, remains unfulfilled," he said.
According to him, it would be dishonest to hold celebrations while many citizens continue to struggle with poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity and poor access to basic services.
"We cannot celebrate independence while our people are trapped in poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, darkness, and hopelessness," he stated.
Sowore also took aim at the country's education, health and power sectors, and accused public officials of diverting resources meant for the people.
"We cannot call ourselves truly independent when our children are denied quality education, workers earn wages that cannot sustain their families, hospitals are collapsing, the paltry electricity that exists remains a luxury, and those entrusted with public resources loot with impunity," he said.
The activist rejected the notion that Nigerians themselves are to blame for the country's difficulties, describing them as hardworking, creative and resilient.
"Nigeria's problem is not its people. Nigerians are hardworking, creative, resilient, and extraordinarily resourceful," he said.
Instead, he blamed successive administrations for failing to properly harness the nation's human and natural endowments.
"The tragedy is that successive ruling establishments have squandered our enormous human and natural wealth while demanding endless sacrifices from those who have the least," he added.
Sowore said Nigerians deserve more than ceremonial events and political promises, insisting that they should enjoy equal rights and what he called "revolutionary justice."
He outlined a vision of a country where workers earn a living wage, education and healthcare are within reach, electricity is dependable, young people can build meaningful lives, farmers can work without fear, and no citizen is arrested, brutalized or imprisoned for challenging those in power.
"They deserve a country where workers earn a living wage; where education and healthcare are accessible; where electricity works; where young people can build meaningful lives; where farmers can work without fear; and where no Nigerian is arrested, brutalized, or imprisoned simply for challenging those in power," he stated.
According to Sowore, the duty of his generation extends beyond marking the independence secured in 1960.
"The task before our generation is not merely to celebrate the independence handed to us in 1960. Our historic duty is to redo it," he said.
He called for a genuine break from corruption, oppression, poverty, injustice, ethnic manipulation and religious bigotry.
"We must build a Nigeria that is genuinely independent, not just from colonial rule, but from internal colonizers enmeshed in monumental corruption, oppression, poverty, injustice, ethnic manipulation, religious bigotry, divisive politics, and the political establishment that has held our people down for decades," he said.
Sowore ended by urging the creation of a Nigeria that works for all its citizens rather than a privileged few.
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