Key Points
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Sowore consoles Anthony Joshua’s team after crash.
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Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash exposes systemic highway failures.
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Urgent reforms needed to improve national road safety.
Omoyele Sowore, who ran for president in the past, has sent his condolences to the families of the people who died in the car crash that also involved former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua. He said that the tragedy shows how deeply flawed Nigeria’s institutions are.
On Tuesday, Sowore talked about X and stressed that the fact that Joshua’s friends died should not take away from the fact that the global sports star survived. He said that their deaths “must not be reduced to mere footnotes in the survival of a celebrity.” He said that the incident should make people think about and take responsibility for their actions on a national level.
Deadly accidents show that the system is deeply flawed
Sowore said that these kinds of accidents happen every day in Nigeria, a country that has “failed in small things and in big ones alike.” He was upset that there weren’t any basic emergency response systems in place, pointing out that the police and road safety agencies often can’t give first aid. Functional ambulances, stretchers, and air rescue services are mostly not available, so victims have to suffer because the system doesn’t care.
The activist told officials to remember the human cost of these accidents. He said, “These kinds of deadly accidents happen every day in a country that has failed.” Sowore said that urgent changes need to be made to make sure that citizens are safe and that emergency responses are better. He said that people who die in these kinds of crashes deserve much better than a broken system.
Revolution based on respect and skill
Sowore also remembered telling Joshua years ago not to get involved with Nigeria’s political leaders. He told the famous boxer to stay away from broken systems of government and not give credibility to institutions that have let people down time and time again. The activist stressed that a revolution based on dignity, competence, and respect for human life is necessary to stop tragedies like the Anthony Joshua crash from happening again.
Sowore ended by saying again that he was sorry for the families who lost loved ones. He told Nigerians to demand accountability and systemic changes that protect lives and uphold human dignity.
