Comrade Onyinye-Ghandi Chukwunyere, a lawyer and activist, is the official spokesperson for the African Action Congress (AAC) National Chairman and former presidential candidate, Comrade Omoyele Sowore. In this interview with , he discusses his party’s future, the current disarray of opposition parties, ongoing realignment and coalition of political leaders, the Anambra governorship election, among other issues in the polity. Excerpt:

Nigerians have been consider­ing the two years of the current administration, which people term the mid-term report of the government. Would you say the Judiciary, seen as the peo­ple’s last hope, has lived up to expectation in the period under review?

The Nigerian judiciary has been a profound letdown un­der this administration, acting more as a tool of the powerful than a defender of justice. The 2023 election tribunals, which upheld Tinubu’s victory de­spite widespread evidence of irregularities, exposed a judi­ciary compromised by political influence. The Supreme Court’s October 2023 ruling dismissing opposition appeals was rightly seen by many as a whitewash that ignored INEC’s failures in result collation. Every honest Nigerian desires sweeping ju­dicial reform, only such reform will remedy the system’s inabil­ity to fairly handle election dis­putes. Nigerians have watched the judiciary fail to protect the vulnerable. The detention of ac­tivists and journalists, includ­ing Nnamdi Kanu, despite court orders for their release, shows a judiciary that bends to executive whims. Corruption allegations, like those involving nearly 600 unauthorised foreign accounts, go unpunished, while ordinary Nigerians face harsh penalties for lesser offenses. The judiciary should be the people’s last hope, but it’s become a gatekeeper for the corrupt and powerful. We need a judiciary that upholds the rule of law, not one that serves as an APC appendage.

The obsession with 2027 elec­tions, barely two years into Tinubu’s term, is a slap on the face to Nigerians. It’s unfair and outright disrespectful to a population struggling with 33% unemployment and 40% living below the poverty line. Instead of addressing insecurity, eco­nomic collapse, or crumbling infrastructure, politicians are busy scheming for power, with APC leaders already endorsing Tinubu for re-election. This isn’t leadership; it’s a betrayal of the social contract. We’ve spoken to countless Nigerians who feel abandoned—traders, farmers, students—all desperate for solu­tions, not campaign slogans. This fixation on elections over governance exposes a political class that sees citizens as mere voting tools, not people with ur­gent needs. The APC’s summit in May 2025, celebrating Tinu­bu’s reforms while ignoring the cost-of-living crisis, shows how out of touch they are. Mean­while, opposition defections to the APC indicate a focus on personal gain, not public ser­vice. Nigerians deserve leaders who prioritise fixing hospitals, securing roads, and creating jobs, not those plotting their next term. The AAC stands for governance that serves the peo­ple, and we’re poised to end the careers of those playing games with the future of the Nigerian people.

The defection of opposition politicians to the APC signifies Nigeria’s rotten political culture where loyalty lies with power, not principle. It’s dishearten­ing to see figures like Labour and PDP lawmakers jump ship, weakening the opposition and strengthening the APC’s grip on power. Tinubu himself boasted about expecting more defections, calling it “the game,” which shows how little regard he has for democratic plural­ism. The early endorsements of Tinubu for 2027, like the APC’s declaration in May 2025, are less about confidence in his leader­ship and more about consoli­dating a one-party state. This erodes the democratic space Nigerians fought for, leaving us with a system where dissent is bought or bullied into silence. For us, these defections are per­sonal betrayals of the millions who voted for change in 2023, only to see their representa­tives prioritise personal gain. The APC’s narrative of reform success ignores the reality of hunger and insecurity faced by ordinary Nigerians. The oppo­sition’s disarray—exacerbated by these defections—makes it harder to challenge Tinubu’s policies, which have impover­ished farmers and deepened ethnic tensions. We in the AAC reject this political opportun­ism. Nigerians deserve leaders who stand firm for justice, not those who trade their values for a seat at the APC’s table.

The realignment of oppo­sition forces against Tinubu and the APC would have been a flicker of hope in a darkening political landscape were it not fraught with challenges and the historical baggage of its major proponents. Figures like Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and even Nasir el-Rufai, who has dis­tanced himself from Tinubu, signal a growing discontent with the APC’s failures. The PDP’s call for unity against democrat­ic erosion and Obi’s push for a political reset show that they agree with us that the APC’s dominance threatens Nigeria’s future. Yet, we remain skeptical of these realignments because they often stem from personal ambition, rather than a shared vision for systemic change. The opposition’s disarray in 2023 allowed Tinubu’s victory, and the egos of the current realign­ment actors may pave the way for his tragic return. However, what Nigeria needs is a united front rooted in principle, not just anti-APC sentiment. The AAC has consistently champi­oned a pro-people agenda, and we welcome any coalition that prioritizes ending corruption, insecurity, and economic hard­ship. But I’ve seen too many so-called opposition leaders cozy up to power when it suits them. For the realignment to succeed, it must queue behind the AAC given our stoic refusal to compromise on the people’s welfare. Nigerians are tired of recycled politicians; they want a movement for real change, and that’s what we’re building toward 2027.

I firmly believe that power can change hands in the up­coming Anambra gubernato­rial election, if the process is free and fair. No party is better positioned than the AAC to take over from Soludo’s APGA. Solu­do’s tenure, while backed by his personal credentials, has leaned heavily on APC-aligned reforms that haven’t translated into tan­gible relief for Ndi-Anambra. The state’s residents are frus­trated with rising costs and a N50 million campaign permit fee imposed on candidates, which our party is currently challenging as undemocratic. The AAC’s candidate, Ms. Chio­ma Grace Ifemeludike, brings a bold, people-centred vision with programmes focused on free, qualitative education, health­care access, and job creation through local industries—poli­cies rooted in our commitment to systemic change. Our can­didate’s track record of grass­roots engagement and integri­ty stands in stark contrast to the elite-driven governance of APGA. If INEC ensures a trans­parent process, I’m confident Anambra voters—especially its youth, will rally behind AAC’s transformative agenda. Unlike the APC, PDP, or Labour, which are mired in internal conflicts or defections, the AAC offers a clear alternative: policies that prioritise small businesses, women’s empowerment, and se­curity without reliance on feder­al patronage. Anambra deserves a government that listens to its traders, farmers, and students, not one beholden to Abuja’s pol­itics. With a level playing field, our candidate’s focus on inclu­sive development will resonate. The AAC is the party to beat in Anambra.

The AAC is Nigeria’s future, plain and simple. As the only mass-based, pro-people’s party, we’re dedicated to dismantling the corrupt, elitist system that’s held Nigeria back for decades. Our vision isn’t about quick fixes or recycled promises; it’s about comprehensive systemic change. We seek to build a Ni­geria where healthcare works, schools produce innovators, and jobs lift families out of poverty. Unlike the APC or PDP, whose defections and infighting expose their lack of principle, the AAC is rooted in the struggles of ordi­nary Nigerians. Our campaigns, from #ENDSARS to challenging INEC’s failures, show we’re not just a party, but a movement for justice and national devel­opment. I urge every Nigeri­an—youth, workers, traders, farmers—to join the AAC. We’re not funded by billionaires, or foreign interests; our strength comes from the people. In 2023, despite harassment and mass rigging, our candidate, Omoye­le Sowore, stood firm, polling strongly across most parts of the country. The future belongs to those who dare to dream of a Nigeria free from corruption and oppression. Join us to build that nation—register, volunteer, spread the word. Together, we can make the AAC the heartbeat of a new Nigeria, where power truly belongs to the people.