Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has forcefully denied allegations that his activism and journalism are bankrolled by Western governments, declaring that he has “never been funded by the West” and dismissing claims that he serves foreign interests as a deliberate attempt to discredit his decades-long campaign against corruption and bad governance.
Sowore made the declaration during an interview on PAPShow hosted by Umar Isa, where he addressed longstanding accusations that his years in the United States and the establishment of SaharaReporters were evidence of foreign sponsorship.
According to him, many Nigerians wrongly assume that because he lived in the United States for about 20 years and founded SaharaReporters there, he must have received funding from Western governments or international organisations.
Rejecting the allegations, Sowore said Nigerians often attach labels to individuals who consistently challenge those in power instead of confronting the issues they raise.
He recalled that after living continuously in the United States for two decades, he returned to Nigeria in 2019, where he was arrested. He said he briefly travelled back to the US in 2024 before returning to Nigeria, where he was arrested again and has remained in the country since.
Sowore insisted that his activism has always been driven by personal conviction and conscience rather than financial support from foreign governments.
He argued that outspoken critics of those in authority are frequently portrayed as agents of foreign interests in an attempt to weaken their credibility before the public.
Using the PAPShow platform as an example, he said any media organisation that consistently questions those in power could one day face similar accusations of being secretly funded by a foreign country, regardless of the absence of evidence.
Speaking on social media and public opinion, Sowore described digital platforms as valuable tools for measuring audience engagement, noting that analytics allow content creators to track views, comments and public reactions.
He, however, maintained that online engagement alone cannot accurately reflect public opinion, stressing that meaningful analysis must combine both digital data and realities on the ground.
On his relationship with Nigerian politicians, Sowore said he has no formal political alliance with any member of the country’s political elite.
He nevertheless acknowledged knowing a few younger political figures, including Prince Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as well as Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, whom he described as a mentor from his student union days at the University of Lagos.
Sowore maintained that his journalism, activism and political engagements have always been motivated by a commitment to justice, accountability and the fight against oppression—not by funding from the West or any foreign government.