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Sowore Collapses as Security Forces Disperse Abuja Democracy Day Demonstrators
Activist and African Action Congress (AAC) 2027 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, collapsed on Friday during a Democracy Day rally in Abuja after security operatives deployed teargas to disperse demonstrators gathered outside the Force Headquarters.
The demonstration was part of a coordinated nationwide mass action organized by a broad coalition of civic groups, labor unions, youth organizations, and social movements.
The coalition whose organizing statement was backed by prominent figures including human rights attorney Femi Falana (SAN), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights President Yinka Folarin, #EndBadGovernance organizer Hassan Soweto, and activist-musician Falz—had designated June 12 as a day of protest against rising economic hardship, high inflation, and persistent domestic insecurity.
The situation in the capital turned chaotic as law enforcement moved in to clear the crowds. Video footage captured by eyewitnesses and circulated on social media platform X showed Sowore unresponsive on the ground during the commotion. Nearby protesters were seen using placards to fan him in an effort to revive him amid the gas-filled air.
As security forces continued deploying teargas to break up the gathering, demonstrators managed to assist Sowore into a nearby vehicle. While recovering inside the moving vehicle, the presidential candidate was recorded confirming to fellow activists that his condition had temporarily stabilized.
Law enforcement and security agencies have not yet issued an official statement regarding the decision to use force at the rally or the reports of the activist’s collapse.
