The presidential candidate for the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has promised to introduce a N500,000 monthly minimum wage for Nigerian workers if he becomes president in the 2027 elections.
Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, said his party will provide 24-hour electricity, make education free and accessible at all levels, build one million public mixed-income homes, and reform rental laws to ease the burden of advance payments.
He made these promises in an interview with Independent, which came out on Sunday, while explaining the AAC's plans for the 2027 elections.
"Our agenda is revolutionary justice and equal rights. Nigeria is very rich, yet Nigerians have been made poor through corruption, incompetence, and an economic system that benefits a small political and business elite. We want to change that completely."
"We are proposing a ₦500,000 monthly minimum wage because Nigerian workers cannot keep surviving on starvation wages while senators, governors, and political appointees take millions every month."
"We will provide 24-hour electricity because no serious industrial economy can depend on generators all the time. Education will be free and accessible at all levels. No Nigerian child should be denied education because of their parents' financial situation."
He added, "We will begin the construction of one million public mixed-income homes and reform rental laws so that workers do not have to pay one or two years of rent in advance. Healthcare must be a right, not just for those who can afford medical tourism."
"We will industrialize Nigeria, significantly increase agricultural production and processing, rebuild infrastructure, and create decent jobs."
"We will reform policing and security, provide better pay for security personnel, and use modern technology like drones and advanced intelligence systems to tackle insecurity."
"We will fight corruption seriously and reclaim public resources stolen by political leaders. Nigeria's wealth must benefit Nigerians."
Sowore is one of the 18 candidates for the 2027 presidential elections announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Saturday.
He said the AAC will run a "people-funded campaign" instead of relying on rich individuals or political patrons for funding.
On his party's ideology, Sowore believes Nigerians are "more ready than ever" for a leftist government. He argues that years of capitalist governments have not fixed inequality and poverty.
"Our socialism is practical. It means the wealth created by society should improve the lives of the people who create it. It means universal education, healthcare, decent housing, electricity, living wages, and social support."
"It means workers deserve dignity. It means Nigeria's natural resources belong to Nigerians, not just a few politically connected billionaires."
"After decades of capitalist governments creating huge wealth for a few while many suffer, Nigerians do not need more lectures on why this failed system should continue. They need an alternative, and AAC is that alternative."
Sowore also criticized the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu's administration. He said his government would change what he sees as the poor philosophy behind these policies.
He stated his government would evaluate its economic policies based on how they improve the lives of Nigerians.
Regarding security during the 2027 campaigns, Sowore said he will demand professionalism from security agencies and uphold his constitutional rights.
"I have never asked Nigeria’s security agencies for favors. I demand professionalism. Police officers, soldiers, and intelligence personnel work for the Nigerian people, not for a president, governor, minister, or ruling party."
"I have faced arrests, detentions, and attacks under various governments, so intimidation is not new to me. But I have learned an important lesson from those experiences. Resistance works."
He said his administration would enhance the welfare of security personnel and professionalize security institutions.
Sowore was selected by consensus as the AAC's presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Despite receiving low votes in his 2019 and 2023 presidential bids, he believes the party's chances in 2027 have "never been better." He says the AAC has kept its independence from political godfathers, governors, and rich patrons.
He stated the party would run its campaign from the grassroots, with its structures reaching wards, polling units, communities, campuses, markets, and workplaces.
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