Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned what he described as Africa’s “suffocating abundance of terrible rulers,” calling for an end to the continent’s long-standing culture of authoritarian leadership.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Sowore criticized Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, 92, and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, both of whom have held power for decades, describing them as “political relics” and symbols of Africa’s enduring autocracy.
Referring to Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for more than 40 years, Sowore wrote that the people of the Central African nation remain “saddled” with a nonagenarian leader who appears “perhaps as an apparition, just to remind the world that he still exists.”
He drew a parallel with Uganda, where President Museveni has been in power since 1986, noting that opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, continues to demonstrate “remarkable courage” despite state repression and efforts to suppress his political movement.
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“Africans must rise and bring an end to this era of impotent leadership,” Sowore declared, lamenting that the continent’s tragedy lies in its “suffocating abundance of terrible rulers.”
Sowore’s statement has since sparked wide engagement on social media, with many users echoing his frustration over Africa’s aging political class and the lack of democratic renewal in several nations.
As of press time, neither the Cameroonian nor Ugandan governments had responded to Sowore’s remarks.