By Palang Paul
The African Action Congress (AAC) has rejected the reported attempt by the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, to bar opposition candidates from campaigning in Osun State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, August 9, 2026, AAC National Publicity Secretary, Rex I. Elanu, said no traditional ruler had the constitutional authority to determine which presidential candidate could campaign or seek votes in the state.
The party was reacting to a reported declaration by the monarch that presidential candidates other than President Bola Tinubu should not campaign in Osun ahead of the 2027 general elections.
AAC described the reported directive as a threat to democratic freedoms and warned against the politicisation of traditional institutions.
“Osun State belongs to its people, not to any monarch, political party or individual,” the party said, insisting that the right to seek votes was guaranteed by Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
According to the party, the 1999 Constitution protects freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, association and movement, rights which it said extend to every political candidate, including its presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
AAC further argued that electoral campaigns should be conducted within the framework established by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and applicable laws, rather than being determined by traditional institutions or political interests.
The party therefore called on INEC and security agencies to take what it described as necessary action over the reported declaration, warning that allowing traditional institutions to become partisan political instruments could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
“We will not accept the transformation of traditional institutions into instruments of partisan politics,” AAC said.
The party maintained that Nigeria’s political leadership must ultimately be determined by voters through constitutionally recognised electoral processes.
“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a monarchy,” the statement declared.
AAC also vowed that Sowore would campaign in Osun State and that the party would conduct its political activities across the country ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Sowore will campaign in Osun. AAC will campaign across Nigeria. It is Nigerians, not traditional rulers, who will decide who governs Nigeria in 2027,” the party said.
The statement was signed by Elanu on behalf of the AAC.
The party concluded with its campaign slogan, “Take It Back,” alongside the hashtags #TinubuMustGo and #Sowore2027.
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