Political activist Omoyele Sowore has made new claims about Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s involvement in early fuel price increases in Nigeria, alleging that Oshiomhole struck a deal with former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida in 1992 to support the country’s first fuel price hike. Sowore also alleged that Oshiomhole, during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, secretly encouraged Obasanjo to raise fuel prices.
Sowore shared these accusations while appearing on a podcast hosted by Glitch Africa Studios. According to him, Oshiomhole’s actions showed he was not a true activist. “Oshiomhole was never an activist,” Sowore stated. “In 1992, he, along with Pascal Bafial, who was then President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), made an agreement with Babangida to increase fuel prices and openly supported it.” Sowore further explained that at the time, he held a press conference where he publicly named Oshiomhole as “an enemy of students” due to his involvement in the fuel price hike.
Sowore went on to claim that during Obasanjo’s presidency, Oshiomhole would meet with Obasanjo privately and suggest raising fuel prices, while pretending to oppose it publicly. “He would say, ‘We’ll protest a little, and then you can set the price where you want it. Everyone’s happy.’ That was Oshiomhole’s strategy,” Sowore alleged. He added that Oshiomhole could feel free to challenge him on these claims.
In a further account, Sowore referenced events following the annulment of the 1993 election, which was won by Moshood Abiola. He claimed that in the wake of the annulment, Nigerian students, outraged by the situation, stormed the NLC’s headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, because the NLC leadership—under Pascal Bafial and Oshiomhole—had allegedly maintained close ties with the military regime. According to Sowore, this alliance between labor leaders and the military eroded public trust in the NLC, as many Nigerians believed the NLC should have been more vocal in defending democratic principles and protesting against the annulment.
Sowore’s accusations paint Oshiomhole as a figure who, despite his public reputation as a labor leader, may have prioritized political convenience and personal alliances over true activism and public interest. His remarks have raised questions about Oshiomhole’s role and stance during key moments in Nigeria’s recent history, such as fuel price adjustments and the democratic struggles of the 1990s.
