Nigerian human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, has accused former Edo State governor and ex-National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Adams Oshiomhole, of secretly collaborating with former military head of state Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and former President Olusegun Obasanjo to orchestrate fuel price increases in Nigeria.
Sowore, speaking on a podcast hosted by Glitch Africa Studios, described Oshiomhole as an "Agaracha" labour leader who was never genuinely committed to activism, contrary to the image he projects.
Sowore recounted that in 1992, during his leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), a world press conference was held where Oshiomhole was labeled an enemy of students for his involvement in the first fuel price increment regime. He alleged that Oshiomhole had a deal with Babangida to support the price hike, which led to widespread student protests.
Further criticizing Oshiomhole's actions during Obasanjo's presidency, Sowore claimed that Oshiomhole would meet with Obasanjo to discuss increasing fuel prices, only to stage minor protests afterward, a tactic Sowore termed as "organized outrage."
He challenged Oshiomhole to refute these claims, emphasizing that Oshiomhole's labor leadership was more about self-interest than genuine activism.
Sowore also highlighted that prominent labor leaders like Pa Michael Imodu and Frank Kokori were the true champions of the labor movement, unlike Oshiomhole, whom he accused of being complicit with the military during critical periods in Nigeria's history.
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