AAC Asks Tinubu to Allow Sowore’s Campaign Council Inauguration at Aso Rock.

The African Action Congress (AAC), the political party fielding Omoyele Sowore as its presidential candidate, has formally approached President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for permission to hold the inauguration ceremony of its Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

The request was contained in a letter dated October 21, 2026, addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock. The document was signed by the party’s National Secretary, Oshiokhue Philip Ikpeminioghena.

In the correspondence, the AAC proposed November 11, 2026, as the date for the ceremony. The party said the proposed gathering would form part of its preparations for the next presidential election and asked the Presidency to approve the use of the Villa as the venue.

According to the letter, the AAC is not presenting its request simply as a matter of convenience. Instead, the party is grounding its appeal in what it describes as the principles of multiparty democracy, political inclusiveness and equal treatment of political parties.

The party argues that public facilities should not be treated as the exclusive preserve of the party controlling the federal government. It therefore wants the Presidency to consider its request within the broader context of democratic participation and equal access.

The AAC also asked for food, drinks and other logistical support for participants who would attend the proposed event. In its letter, the party linked that request to what it said were arrangements reportedly extended to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a similar political engagement.

That comparison is central to the party’s argument. The AAC is effectively asking the Tinubu administration to apply the same standard to an opposition party that it says has previously been applied to the ruling party.

Reports on the request indicate that the party expects about 5,000 participants from Nigeria and abroad. However, the letter itself, as circulated publicly, focuses on the request for food, drinks and logistical support without stating the number in the main body of the correspondence.

The proposed use of the Presidential Villa is likely to attract attention because of the symbolic importance of Aso Rock in Nigeria’s political system. The Villa is the official seat of the country’s executive power and the primary workplace and residence of the President.

For the AAC, holding its campaign council ceremony there would therefore carry significance beyond the event itself. It would allow the party to make a visible statement about its place within Nigeria’s multiparty political system while challenging the perception that state facilities are primarily available to the governing party.

The request comes as political activity surrounding the 2027 elections continues to gather momentum. With parties organising campaign structures, appointing officials and mobilising supporters, the formation and public presentation of campaign councils are becoming important parts of preparations for the election.

Sowore remains one of the most recognisable opposition figures associated with the AAC. His political activities have frequently placed him in opposition to successive administrations, and his participation in the 2027 race gives the AAC a national platform from which to challenge the ruling political establishment.

Earlier in October, the AAC announced the structure of its Sowore–Magashi Presidential Campaign Council, with the organisation expected to coordinate campaign operations across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The council includes people expected to work across mobilisation, media, policy, legal matters, digital campaigning and election-related activities.

The request to hold a ceremony at Aso Rock can therefore be viewed as another stage in the party’s effort to publicly organise and strengthen its campaign ahead of the 2027 contest.

The AAC’s letter places responsibility on the Presidency to respond to a question of political equality. The party says granting its request would demonstrate a commitment to fairness, equal access and the principle that public institutions should serve Nigerians without partisan discrimination.

This argument could become an important part of the political discussion surrounding the request. While the AAC is seeking access to a government facility for a political event, it is framing the matter as an issue of equal treatment rather than special privilege.

The party also asked the Presidency to communicate the procedures and conditions that would apply if approval is granted. This suggests that the AAC is prepared to comply with whatever administrative or security requirements may be attached to the use of the facility.

The additional request for food, drinks and other logistics could make the matter more contentious because it goes beyond the use of the venue. It raises a broader question about the extent to which public resources should be used to support activities organised by political parties during an election cycle.

The AAC, however, has sought to justify the request by pointing to what it says are similar arrangements for the APC. Its position is that if comparable support has been made available to the ruling party, denying similar consideration to an opposition party could raise questions about equal treatment.

For President Tinubu and the Presidency, the request presents a delicate balancing exercise. Granting access could be presented as evidence of openness to opposition parties and a willingness to accommodate political competition. At the same time, the use of state facilities and public resources for partisan events can attract scrutiny over the boundaries between official government functions and campaign activities.

As of October 21, there had been no public indication that the Presidency had approved the AAC’s request. The letter remains a request for permission, meaning the proposed November 11 ceremony at the Presidential Villa is not confirmed simply because the party has submitted the correspondence.

The AAC is now waiting for the Presidency to communicate whether the request will be accepted, rejected or approved subject to specific conditions.

The episode highlights how the 2027 election is beginning to shape political activity well ahead of the polls. Parties are already positioning their candidates, building campaign structures and seeking opportunities to present themselves to voters.

For Sowore and the AAC, the proposed Aso Rock event would provide an opportunity to showcase their campaign machinery from one of the country’s most prominent political locations. For the Presidency, its response could become a test of how its commitment to multiparty politics is perceived by opposition groups and the wider public.

At the centre of the matter is the AAC’s demand for what it considers equal treatment. The party wants permission to use the Presidential Villa for its November 11 campaign council ceremony and wants food, drinks and logistical support to be made available on terms it says should be comparable to those reportedly extended to the APC.

The final decision now rests with the Presidency. Until that decision is communicated, the proposed inauguration remains subject to approval and any conditions the federal government may impose.