Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State 30 October 2026
Omoyele Sowore, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and publisher of Sahara Reporters, was attacked by suspected political thugs inside a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti on Friday afternoon, his campaign and media team have alleged. Reports indicate he was later rushed to hospital, with his brother and members of his entourage said to have sustained machete injuries.
Sowore first raised the alarm in a post on his official Facebook page, writing: “Thugs just attacked us inside a restaurant in Ado Ekiti.” Subsequent posts and campaign statements claimed that armed thugs had abducted him and that his whereabouts were unknown at the time. The incident is said to have occurred at about 1pm at Tawakal’tu Restaurants and Catering Services in the Ekiti State capital.
In a later post on X, Sowore provided further details of the alleged attack:
“This is the level of infamy to which Nigeria has been subjected! Those who brutally attacked us in Ado-Ekiti today came from the Government House @ekitistategov. They are well known, and they were provided with tracking and operational support by the @OfficialDSSNG. Since our arrival yesterday, DSS operatives have been trailing and harassing us. They even threatened the manager of the first place where we ate, warning him never to allow us to use his premises again. Today, shortly after I completed an interview at MIDAS FM 90.5 in Ado-Ekiti, the thugs descended on us in a violent attack, allegedly with the assistance of the DSS. #RevolutionNow”
According to Sahara Reporters, citing eyewitnesses and sources, the attackers described by the campaign as government-sponsored and linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) — used machetes on members of Sowore’s team, including his brother. The restaurant was vandalised, with damage to tables, chairs and vehicles outside. Sowore’s media team later posted that the group had been “brutally attacked and injured by well armed government-sponsored thugs,” alleging that the Department of State Services (DSS) had provided the attackers with their exact location. The team declared: “We won’t back down! We have a country to liberate!”
The AAC issued a press statement expressing alarm over Sowore’s initially unknown whereabouts and holding the Ekiti State Governor, the Inspector-General of Police and the state Commissioner of Police accountable for his safety. The party demanded an immediate investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and protective measures. It warned that it would mobilise mass action, including a protest at the Ekiti State Government House, if authorities failed to act. Campaign spokesperson Abdulkareem Musa had earlier described the development as a serious security concern and called on the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Independent National Electoral Commission and other agencies to intervene.
Sowore was in Ekiti for activities connected with his presidential campaign. On Thursday, his lawyers informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was in the state for campaign engagements, leading to the adjournment of his ongoing cyberbullying trial related to social-media posts describing President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” — until 3 November 2026.
As of the time of filing, the Ekiti State Police Command had not publicly confirmed the incident. Independent verification of the full circumstances, the extent of injuries, the precise hospital location, or the identities of the alleged attackers remained limited. The reports are based primarily on statements from Sowore’s campaign, his social-media posts and Sahara Reporters’ sources.
The alleged attack comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections and follows a series of public criticisms by Sowore of the Tinubu administration, including calls for protests and rejection of opposition coalitions. Security agencies have previously warned political actors against violence in the run-up to the polls.
By John James
