Sowore Challenges Military Presence at Aso Rock During Abuja Protest

(Activist Omoyele Sowore. Photo by Green Institute)

Activist Omoyele Sowore has declared that the military has no legal authority to prevent protesters from accessing the Presidential Villa, making the assertion during a peaceful demonstration held in Abuja on Thursday.

The protest was organised to draw the attention of authorities to the worsening security situation across the country.

Sowore disclosed that the group of demonstrators had been stopped by military personnel stationed at the entrance of the Presidential Villa, but said they made a deliberate decision not to engage or confront the security operatives given the peaceful nature of the march.

Speaking to those gathered, Sowore was defiant in his tone, asserting that Aso Rock belongs to all Nigerians and declaring that when the citizens are truly ready, no military force will be able to prevent them from taking back what is theirs.

He stressed that the protesters are not intimidated by soldiers or police, turning the power dynamic on its head by reminding security operatives that citizens are their employers and ultimately the ones who fund their salaries.

He noted that the demonstration was deliberately inclusive, with mothers and children among those who participated in the march, underscoring the broad-based and non-threatening nature of the protest.