This was contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Sylvester Cletus, on Wednesday, which noted that Sowore was expelled from the party in 2019.

The party stated that it needed to clear the air regarding Sowore’s candidacy following purported claims that he was the AAC candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

Cletus stated that Sowore was removed for violating the party’s constitution, and misappropriation of funds, amongst other offences, adding that he was ineligible to contest the Presidency under the party.

The African Action Congress wishes to notify the general public that Mr Omoyele Sowore was expelled on August 9, 2019, at the party’s National Convention held in Owerri, Imo State. He was first suspended from the party in May 2019 and his suspension was upheld by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction in Nigeria.

“Thereafter, the highest decision making body of the party at the 2019 convention, indicted him for flagrance disobedience to the party’s constitution, doubling as party’s National Chairman and presidential candidate, that is, solely holding two positions and other positions in the party same time, proven allegations of financial misappropriation, disrespect to constituted authority (the State) and leadership of the party, and for anti-party activities.

“The importance of this is that legally, Omoyele Sowore is not a member of our party, the African Action Congress, AAC and democratically, his membership right has been withdrawn,” the statement read in part.

Cletus warned the public to be wary of being scammed by the publisher of the online newspaper, Sahara Reporters, in support of a false assumption of contesting for the Presidency under the AAC.

“It is important that these clarifications are made so that the general public is not swindled as the said Omoyele Sowore has erected a grandiose scamming scheme to dupe people when he’s fully aware that he is not an aspirant or candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC in the upcoming polls.

“In the light of the above, the general public should be wary of Mr. Omoyele Sowore and his accomplices, as they are not in any position to determine the administration of our party nor on how we recruit aspirants for elections including how our forms are made available to the general public,” the statement added.

Sowore was arrested on Saturday by the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a statement signed by Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, the organisers said “We have confirmed that Omoyele Sowore, the leader of the #RevolutionNow protests, has been arrested. This arrest is not surprising to us. We know that the presidency has tried everything in their powers to discredit and dampen our struggle. For the past three days, the presidency has paid social media influencers hugely and such others to discredit the #RevolutionNow all to no avail! The presidency even went as far as attacking Amnesty International, believing that their blackmails would appeal to Nigerians. They also paid some ex-activists to counter us publicly but the mass of working people stood by #RevolutionNow!” Also speaking on behalf of the Lagos branch of the African Action Congress (AAC), Ajayi called for more mobilization in defiance to the government. Lagos branch of the African Action Congress (AAC) condemns Sowore’s arrest and Buhari’s stubborn and cruel antidemocratic credentials. We believe that the #RevolutionNow will outlive all forces of repression, particularly the Buhari Presidency. We call on the Coalition for Revolution (CORE) and other organizers to continue with mobilization. A failed government cannot use force to make the mass of people to accept its failure.”

According to reports by Sahara Reporters, Omoyele was arrested in his apartment in the early hours of Saturday August 3rd. The DSS invaded his apartment with four trucks, seizing his phones and other electronic gadgets. His whereabouts is currently unknown.

Sowore posted a distress tweet at exactly 1:25 am with an eyewitness confirming that his phone was forcefully taken from him.

His arrest is rumoured to be connected with the #RevolutionNow protest which he is spearheading. #RevolutionNow is a series of planned protests against bad governance in Nigeria scheduled for August 5, 2019.

After a series of close door meeting between the two of them, they both address the public in a Facebook live session.

Sowore said “We met to talk about things we’ve both been passionate about but on a different plane and we respect those boundaries but we’ve had very useful conversations today so that everybody that is aspiring for a fair and just society can come together and rise up now and bring an end to the sorrow and suffering and the domination and the oppression that has become almost synonymous with our generation and our genes in Nigeria. Those of you out there who think we have big differences and that we can’t talk, know that when people have revolutionary minds, these minds meet and bodies eventually meet.”

Kanu said “I met with my good friend Sowore and it has yielded today a confirmation that people can come together. There isn’t much of a difference for what we are fighting for because we are fighting for justice. We know and hope that the people that found themselves today trapped in that contraption called Nigeria will one day be free and it takes people to do it. I doubt it comes from heaven and we have to do it, we have decided to do it and it must be done.”