Sowore Omoyele Stephen

Omoyele Yele Sowore, born on February 16, 1971, is a Nigerian politician, human rights activist, and pro-democracy campaigner known for founding Sahara Reporters, an online news agency dedicated to exposing government corruption.

His activism began during Nigeria’s military era, where he became deeply involved in student protests against IMF conditions and government policies, including the reduction of universities from 28 to five. Arrested multiple times for political activism—including leading student demonstrations that resulted in police killings—Sowore endured torture and detention.

Raised in a polygamous household in the Niger Delta region (Ondo State, South-South), he overcame poverty by fishing daily as a child to support his family. His academic career was disrupted by repeated expulsions for activism at the University of Lagos, where he later served as president of the Student Union Government.

He earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University and continues lecturing while advocating for democracy. His media passion grew during IMF protests, leading to his founding of Sahara Reporters in New York (2006), which receives grants from independent foundations like the Ford Foundation.

Sowore founded the African Action Congress (AAC) in August 2018 as a platform for anti-corruption and democratic reforms. He ran twice as AAC’s presidential candidate: losing in 2019 with 33,953 votes and again in 2023 with 14,608 votes.

His political career has been marked by arrests—including a treason charge for calling the #RevolutionNow protest—and repeated human rights violations. His wife, Opeyemi Sowore, has led protests globally over his detention, drawing international condemnation of Nigeria’s democratic failures.

Born in Ondo State but identified as from Ese-Odo (Southwest), he has lived abroad since the 1990s, including in New Jersey, USA. His family’s history includes a 2021 murder of his younger brother by herdsmen or kidnappers in Edo State.

Sowore’s legal battles include lawsuits against authorities for violations, such as the seizure of his phone during arrest and travel restrictions imposed in October 2019. Despite these challenges, he remains a vocal critic of government corruption and authoritarianism.