Deji Adeyanju Opens Up on Rift With Sowore, Says “I Speak the Truth, Not Politics”

Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has spoken publicly about his strained relationship with Omoyele Sowore, saying months of online attacks from some of Sowore’s supporters forced him to finally respond.

In a lengthy statement shared on social media, Adeyanju said he deliberately ignored the criticism for over two months but decided to break his silence so those attacking him would know he was aware of their actions.

According to him, the disagreement began after he appeared on the Honest Bunch Podcast, where he was asked whether Sowore could win the 2027 presidential election.

Adeyanju said he answered “No,” arguing that Nigerian elections are driven by factors beyond ideology.

“They started attacking me from the day I said Sowore cannot win the 2027 election because he does not share rice. Did I lie?” he wrote.

The activist also addressed criticism over his relationship with social media personality VeryDarkMan (VDM), insisting he repeatedly advised him to stop disrespecting Sowore.

Adeyanju claimed he personally warned VDM several times in the presence of witnesses and even arranged a phone call in an attempt to resolve the disagreement between both men.

He further maintained that he consistently defended Sowore whenever he believed the activist was unfairly attacked online.

“I posted that even if they showed a picture of Sowore stealing money from the CBN vault, his integrity would remain intact,” he said, referring to a previous post he made in defence of the AAC presidential candidate.

Despite that, Adeyanju alleged that some of Sowore’s supporters continued to target him, accusing them of expecting him to publicly align with every political position taken by the activist.

He also questioned why Sowore had not publicly condemned supporters whom he accused of attacking him on social media, while recalling that their last conversation centred on an appeal by Sowore regarding another online dispute.

Adeyanju concluded by saying he has always respected Sowore but believes activism should not excuse personal attacks or what he described as “childish online behaviour.”

The comments add another chapter to the growing public disagreement between two prominent activists who have often found themselves on the same side of major national issues but now appear divided over political strategy and recent events.