The 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has accused operatives of the Department of State Services of discriminatory treatment during the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sowore, a human rights activist and former presidential candidate, alleged that DSS operatives stopped him at the entrance to the event and demanded to see his invitation letter despite knowing that he was one of the presidential candidates expected at the ceremony.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in Abuja during the signing of the peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre.
The accord brought together presidential candidates, political party leaders, National Assembly candidates, the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies and other stakeholders.
The candidates pledged to reject violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and other conduct capable of undermining the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the event was marked by a protest from Sowore, who accused security personnel of treating political candidates differently based on their level of influence and the size of their security convoys.
In a post on his verified X handle on Wednesday, the AAC candidate said he was stopped at the gate by DSS operatives when he arrived for the event.
“I arrived at the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord signing event, only to be blocked at the gate by the DSS operatives,” Sowore wrote.
According to him, one of the operatives demanded to see his invitation letter, even though the officer later acknowledged that he knew Sowore was a presidential candidate.
Sowore alleged that the situation became more frustrating when another presidential candidate arrived with a large convoy and was allowed into the venue without undergoing the same treatment.
“While this was going on, another presidential candidate swept in with his long convoy and was ushered through without any of this harassment,” he said.
The AAC candidate further alleged that security personnel told him that his staff would not be allowed into the venue.
He said his camera crew was also prevented from entering.
Sowore said he rejected what he described as discriminatory treatment and insisted that all presidential candidates attending the peace accord should be treated equally.
He argued that participation in the event should not depend on the number of vehicles in a candidate’s convoy, the number of security personnel accompanying the candidate or the level of political influence enjoyed by the individual.
“If this is supposed to be a peace accord involving presidential candidates, then every candidate must be treated with equal dignity and respect,” he said.
Sowore added that Nigeria’s security agencies must end what he described as a culture of intimidation, class discrimination and arbitrary treatment of citizens.
“Not according to the size of their convoy, the number of security vehicles around them, or how much privilege they display,” he said.
He also said he insisted on his rights and refused to accept the treatment allegedly meted out to him.
“I insisted on my rights and made it clear that I would not succumb to discriminatory conduct,” he said.
The allegation comes against the background of wider concerns over the conduct of security agencies during political activities in Nigeria.
Security agencies, including the DSS and police, play key roles in protecting political gatherings and preventing threats to public safety. However, their activities have often attracted criticism from opposition politicians and civil society groups, particularly over allegations of harassment, intimidation and unequal treatment.
The DSS has not, in the material available, issued a response to Sowore’s allegation.
The controversy also comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections, with public campaigns officially commencing on Wednesday, August 19, according to the revised timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The National Peace Accord was designed to encourage political parties and candidates to conduct peaceful and issue-based campaigns.
At the Abuja ceremony, presidential candidates and other political actors committed themselves to rejecting violence, hate speech, misinformation and personal attacks.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, said the agreement was important because political campaigns should focus on the problems facing Nigerians rather than insults and inflammatory statements.
He described elections as a competition for public office rather than a war and urged candidates to debate their ideas and policies.
The peace accord also seeks to promote respect for electoral institutions and encourage candidates and their supporters to avoid actions that could lead to violence.
Sowore, however, had earlier expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such agreements, describing the signing as a ritual without strong sanctions for violators.
He argued that previous peace accords had not prevented election-related violence and called for a stronger agreement that would include enforceable consequences for politicians who breach their commitments.
His latest complaint over his treatment at the event has now added another dimension to his criticism of the peace process.
The 2027 election is expected to be highly contested, with President Bola Tinubu seeking another term and several opposition politicians positioning themselves for the presidency.
The political contest is likely to produce intense campaigns, particularly as parties seek to expand their support across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
With the official start of campaigns, political parties and security agencies are expected to play important roles in ensuring that candidates can campaign freely while maintaining public order.
For Sowore, however, the treatment he says he received at the peace accord ceremony raises questions about whether all candidates are being given equal treatment even before the election campaign begins.