African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore says he asked former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to apologise following their heated exchange at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
Sowore made the disclosure during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday, a day after the confrontation at the NBA’s political session. He said his demand was linked to what he described as his long-standing fight for democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
The AAC candidate argued that political experience should not be judged only by previous government positions. He said his years of activism helped create the democratic environment that allowed politicians such as Amaechi to rise through public office.
Sowore said he contacted Amaechi after the event and asked him to apologise. He added that Amaechi instead invited him to his home to eat and drink a beer, but Sowore declined, joking that he did not want to be poisoned because Amaechi was unhappy with him.
The disagreement began after Sowore criticised Amaechi’s record as Rivers governor and later as Minister of Transportation. He questioned the impact of some projects linked to the former governor and also criticised the handling of fuel subsidy policy.
Amaechi, who is the African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, defended his record by pointing to roads and primary schools completed during his tenure as governor. He also cited the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railway projects executed while he was transportation minister, and challenged Rivers lawyers to take Sowore around the state to inspect projects delivered under his administration.
The exchange became more heated when Amaechi told Sowore, “When politicians are talking, close your mouth.” Sowore has since maintained that his activism represents a form of leadership experience and that his contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development should not be dismissed because he has not previously held public office.
Sowore also renewed his opposition to the removal of fuel subsidy, saying he had warned about its possible economic impact before the policy was implemented. He argued that the hardship that followed supported his earlier position, while taking another swipe at Amaechi by saying the former governor was not an “Excellency” because, in his view, he had done nothing excellent for Nigeria.
The clash formed part of a broader political discussion at the NBA conference involving figures including Peter Obi and Adewole Adebayo. The session covered governance, insecurity, fuel subsidy and Nigeria’s political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
