…Sowore’s party challenges Tinubu to extend to the opposition what it says the ruling APC has received
WED OCT 21 2026-theGBJournal| Nigeria’s African Action Congress (AAC) has asked President Bola Tinubu to allow it to inaugurate its presidential campaign council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, while providing food, drinks and logistical support for 5,000 participants.
The request, made in a letter dated 21 October 2026 and seen by the G&B Journal, sets up a test of the administration’s claim to political inclusiveness, but also raises questions about the use of public facilities and resources for party-political activities.
The party wants to hold the inauguration on 11 November for its presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Its demands extend beyond access to the seat of government to include catering and logistical arrangements for participants expected from Nigeria and abroad.
In the letter, signed by its National Secretary, Oshiokhue Philip Ikpeminoghena, the AAC argues that its request is grounded in multiparty democracy, political inclusiveness and equal treatment.
The party says similar arrangements have reportedly been extended to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and insists that public institutions must serve all Nigerians without partisan discrimination.
Its argument places the government before a question of consistency: if the APC has enjoyed such privileges, on what grounds could the opposition be denied comparable treatment?
But the demand also raises a separate question.
Does equal treatment of political parties require equal access to government facilities, or does it extend to the use of public resources to finance campaign-related hospitality and logistics?
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