The Moshood Abiola Vanguard for Democracy (MAVD) has strongly condemned the Afenifere Youth Coalition for its recent attacks on human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, describing the group as “amorphous” and “infamous.”
The Afenifere Youth Coalition, led by Oladosu Rasaq, also known as Buska, and its President, Samuel Isijola, had accused Sowore of engaging in defamation, blackmail, and cyberbullying against Yoruba public office holders, particularly the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
At a press conference in Lagos on Friday, the coalition called for legal action against Sowore, citing his ongoing legal troubles, including a 16-count cybercrime charge. The group claimed that Sowore’s social media activities were aimed at spreading misinformation and inciting unrest as part of a larger agenda to destabilize President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In response, MAVD issued a statement on Tuesday, signed by its National Secretary, Ibrahim Oluwatobiloba, and Publicity Director, Adeoye Ade-Adewunmi, dismissing the allegations as baseless. The group criticized the Afenifere Youth Coalition for attempting to shield public officials from accountability and accused them of promoting ethnic sentiments over national interest.
“The press conference was laughable and full of absurdity. It has exposed the degeneration in the human rights community, where groups are rising up to defend bad governance, oppression, incompetence, nepotism, and favoritism,” MAVD stated.
The statement further defended Sowore’s activism, asserting that his criticism of public officials is not based on ethnicity but on governance failures.
“To put the record straight, Omoyele Sowore has been consistent in speaking truth to power, and he has never done so on the basis of ethnicity,” MAVD declared. “Omoyele has continued to fight doggedly for the emancipation of the masses in all ramifications.”
The group also dismissed claims that Sowore was targeting Yoruba officeholders, stating, “The unreasonable and groundless allegations that Sowore is attacking Yorubas in public office are preposterous and further expose this group as ethnic champions. They should be reminded that IG Egbetokun is the Inspector-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not the IG of Yoruba extraction.”
MAVD reaffirmed its support for Sowore, emphasizing that true activists should focus on strengthening democracy rather than shielding government officials from scrutiny.
“MAVD stands in solidarity with Omoyele Sowore, who has been risking his life in defense of Nigeria’s democracy and against bad governance,” the statement concluded.