African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has revealed that he asked former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to apologise following their heated exchange at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
Speaking after the confrontation, Sowore said he contacted Amaechi and expected an apology but declined an invitation to meet privately, joking that he did not want to be poisoned.
Sowore argued that his contribution to Nigeria’s democratic struggle should be considered a form of leadership experience, even though he has not held elective public office.
He maintained that his activism helped create the democratic environment in which politicians such as Amaechi were able to rise to public office.
The disagreement began during a political session at the NBA conference, where Sowore criticised Amaechi’s record as governor and former Minister of Transportation.
Amaechi defended his record by highlighting infrastructure projects implemented during his time in office, including road and railway projects. The exchange became heated when Amaechi told Sowore to “close your mouth” while politicians were speaking.
Sowore, however, said the confrontation had not changed his position on fuel subsidy, insisting he had warned against its removal before the policy was implemented.
He argued that Nigeria’s current economic difficulties had reinforced his earlier position and maintained that political leadership should be judged by vision, ideas and the ability to deliver results.
