A Nigerian activist, Omoyele Sowore, has reacted to the reported loss of a Plateau State lawmaker, Yusuf Gagdi, in a recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, linking the development to what he described as the lawmaker’s past public stance on policing and civil rights issues.
Sowore, in a statement shared on social media, referenced a past television appearance in which Gagdi, a member of the House of Representatives, allegedly questioned why the Nigeria Police had not used lethal force against him during a period of public advocacy calling for the retirement of the Inspector General of Police after his tenure.
The activist criticised the remarks, arguing that they reflected what he described as an authoritarian mindset within sections of Nigeria’s political class, particularly toward citizens’ rights to protest and hold public officials accountable.
He further claimed that Gagdi had previously defended actions and structures he considers unlawful, though these assertions were not independently verified at the time of reporting.
Gagdi, a lawmaker representing a constituency in Plateau State under the ruling APC, has not publicly responded to Sowore’s latest comments as of the time of filing this report.
The development comes in the wake of internal party primaries across the APC, where several incumbent lawmakers have reportedly lost re-nomination bids ahead of the next electoral cycle, reflecting growing political competition within the party.
Sowore concluded his remarks by suggesting that political consequences often follow public positions taken by elected officials, a claim presented as his personal opinion.
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