- The police invited him regarding a viral video showing Sowore confronting officers at a Lagos checkpoint.
- He arrived at the force headquarters in Abuja on Monday and was arraigned on Wednesday over cybercrime allegations.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has made it clear that he would not accept President Bola Tinubu as his bail surety, even if he offered.
Sowore rejected the police’s bail conditions, which included surrendering his international passport and presenting a level 17 civil servant as a surety.
The court postponed ruling on his bail application until Thursday, January 30.
Speaking to journalists, Sowore condemned the bail conditions, calling them “laughable, frivolous, and ridiculous.”
He argued that the police had no authority to grant administrative bail.
Sowore emphasized that he couldn’t participate in what he saw as illegality, highlighting that the police’s demands were unreasonable.
“I’m a publisher of an internationally renowned news website,” he said.
“I have people who I hired in Nigeria and abroad. I’m not a civil servant; I’m an uncivil citizen who is against all kinds of corruption.
“I have spent my entire life fighting against corruption.”
Sowore said he found it insulting that he was asked to provide a level 17 director as a surety.
“Even if President Bola Tinubu had appeared as my surety, I would have rejected that very laughable, frivolous, ridiculous, and I dare say stupid bail condition.”
Regarding his passport, Sowore stated that if the court decided to keep it, that would be a separate issue.
He emphasized the need to reject the Nigeria police’s impunity and officers who invite individuals for questioning and then demand their passport.
Sowore pointed out that, by civil service rules, there is no level 17 officer, as that position is equivalent to a permanent secretary appointed by the president.
He questioned how such a person could be expected to stand surety for him.
Sowore recalled that, in 1992, he was a student leader, while Tinubu was a senator, and he had more influence in Nigerian society at the time.
“How dare they ask me?” he asked, also mentioning that Egbetokun was likely a sergeant at the time, assuming he hadn’t falsified his age.