Dare Babalola
A former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has blamed deep-rooted institutional failures in Nigeria for the road crash involving former heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua.
Sowore, in a post shared on his X handle on Tuesday, condoled with the families of those who died in the road crash, noting that the accident should not be overshadowed by the survival of the global sports icon.
He said the deaths of Joshua’s associates “must not be reduced to mere footnotes in the survival of a celebrity,” adding that the attention generated by the incident should compel national reflection and responsibility.
Sowore described such fatal crashes as a daily reality in a country he said had “failed in small things and in big ones alike,” lamenting the absence of basic emergency response mechanisms.
He wrote, “These kinds of fatal accidents are the daily, naked reality of a nation that has failed failed in small things and in big ones alike.
“A country where road safety agencies and the police cannot provide even the most basic first aid. Where there are no stretchers, no functional ambulances, and certainly no air ambulances. Where people die not only from accidents, but from institutional neglect.
“This is why we must work sincerely and relentlessly toward a revolution one rooted in dignity, competence, and the sanctity of human life.”
He called for a genuine revolution rooted in dignity, competence, and respect for life, describing it as sincere and relentless.
Sowore also reminded Joshua of his earlier warning against aligning with Nigeria’s political leaders.
He wrote, “I spoke frankly to Anthony Joshua years ago about the danger of aligning with Nigeria’s rotten leadership. It was an unpopular warning at the time, and many dismissed it. Time, however, has a way of validating uncomfortable truths.
“I must still insist that Anthony Joshua stop genuflecting at the altars of those who have failed Nigeria so catastrophically. It is time for him to turn his back on them. Icons must not lend legitimacy to dysfunction.”
The human rights activist offered condolences to the bereaved families, stating that the deceased “deserved far better than this broken system.”
