Fresh revelations have raised questions about the links between individuals accused of participating in the October 30 attack on activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and a political organisation campaigning for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, City Boy Movement.
Barely one week after armed thugs violently attacked Sowore and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, fresh revelations have emerged linking individuals identified by the activist as suspects in the attack to leadership positions within President Tinubu’s City Boy Movement.
An executive list released by the Ekiti State chapter of the City Boy Movement identifies Ijarotimi Ayodeji Akintade, whom Sowore has accused of participating in the October 30, 2026 attack, as the organisation’s Chief Security Officer (CSO).
The same document identifies Adenijo Olusola as State Treasurer. Sowore had identified Sola Adenijo, popularly known as “Solar,” as one of the principal suspects in the violent assault. A review of a Facebook profile believed to be linked to him, which now appears inactive, shows the account name as ‘Adenijo Olusola Solar’.
The City Boy Movement is a youth-driven political and civic advocacy organization in Nigeria founded in 2022 to support the political ambitions and presidential campaign of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The movement is heavily tied to the Tinubu family through Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son, who serves as the Patron of the movement.
It was originally created as a grassroots support group ahead of the 2023 Nigerian presidential election to mobilise youth voters for Tinubu.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has openly praised the movement for its structured approach, digital engagement, and defence of his administration’s policies, such as the removal of fuel subsidies and economic reforms, across campuses, markets, and social media.
The movement is headed by Asiwaju Kasali Oluwafemi, another political figure whom Sowore previously accused of threatening violence against his wife over her criticism of Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji during a marathon event last year.
The executive announcement, signed by the movement’s Director of Media and Communications, Alofe Ayodele Moses, and dated July 4, 2026, lists the individuals among officials responsible for coordinating the organisation’s activities across Ekiti State.
Although the announcement predates the October 30 attack, its contents have raised questions about the political affiliations and possible connections of individuals accused of involvement in the violence.
Suspected Attackers Occupy Positions In Pro-Tinubu Organisation
According to the document, the City Boy Movement’s Ekiti State leadership was reorganised to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The restructuring was approved by State Director Kasali Oluwafemi, who described the appointments as being based on competence, loyalty, dedication and proven capacity to deliver.
Among those named in the executive structure were Ijarotimi Ayodeji Akintade as Chief Security Officer and Adenijo Olusola as State Treasurer.
Sowore has publicly identified Ayodeji Akintade as one of the individuals involved in the attack against him and his associates at Tawakalitu Restaurant in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti on October 30.
The activist has also identified Solar as a leading participant in the assault, which left members of his team injured and resulted in the theft of phones and other personal belongings.
City Boy Movement Leader Previously Accused Of Threatening Sowore’s Wife
The involvement of Kasali Oluwafemi in the movement’s leadership has also attracted attention.
Sowore had previously accused Kasali of threatening to physically assault his wife after he criticised Governor Biodun Oyebanji during a marathon event in Ekiti State last year.
The activist has also accused Kasali of making threats ahead of the 30 October attack and of publicly celebrating after the incident.
Police Investigation Under Scrutiny
The revelations come amid growing controversy over the handling of the October 30 attack by the Ekiti State Police Command.
Sowore has repeatedly accused the police authorities of failing to apprehend principal suspects despite the availability of video recordings and other materials which he says identify those responsible.
The Ekiti State Police Command previously announced the arrest of 11 individuals in connection with the violence.
However, Sowore has questioned why individuals he identified as leading participants have not been publicly accounted for by investigators.
He has also accused police officers of mishandling CCTV equipment removed from the restaurant where the attack occurred, claiming that recordings were subsequently wiped from the equipment.
Sowore has demanded an independent investigation into the incident and the preservation and forensic examination of all available evidence.
Questions Over Political Violence Ahead Of 2027 Elections
The emergence of the executive list has intensified concerns raised by Sowore about political violence and the activities of groups mobilising support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
The City Boy Movement’s announcement explicitly states that its restructuring was intended to strengthen its capacity to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and the continued electoral success of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The activist maintains that the attack against him was politically motivated and intended to intimidate him out of campaigning for the presidency.
He has demanded that the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) explain what steps have been taken to investigate the individuals he identified and determine whether any political organisation or public official played a role in the attack.
Sowore has vowed to continue demanding accountability for the attack, insisting that political affiliations must not shield anyone found responsible for violence against opposition figures.
Solar Previously Arraigned in Separate Murder Cases Involving NURTW Chairman, Female Sergeant, Others
In September 2014, Adenijo ‘Solar’ was among seven men arrested and prosecuted over the murder of Chief Omolafe Aderiye, the former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ekiti State and a loyalist of former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Aderiye was murdered on September 25, 2014, in an incident that generated considerable political tension in the state.
The case later came before the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti.
In May 2017, the trial attracted attention when the defendants, including Adenijo, rejected a lawyer who announced an appearance on their behalf, insisting that they did not know him and had not authorised him to represent them.
Adenijo reportedly addressed the lawyer in Yoruba, saying, “Iwo o kii n se loya wa o,” translated as, “You are not our lawyer.”
However, in January 2018, the Ekiti State High Court, presided over by Justice Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye, discharged and acquitted Adenijo and his six co-defendants.
The court held that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence linking them to Aderiye’s murder. The defendants had denied the allegations and spent more than three years in custody during the trial.
SaharaReporters’ findings also show that Adenijo ‘Solar’ was subsequently arrested and remanded over the deadly violence that accompanied the March 2021 Ekiti East Constituency 1 House of Assembly by-election in Omuo-Ekiti.
During the election violence, several people were shot. Among the victims was Woman Sergeant Olawoye Bukola, who was shot while guarding a ballot box and later died from her injuries at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.
Solar was arraigned alongside Paul Folorunso and Adebayo Serifat before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court.
They faced a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder and attempted murder. The charges included allegations relating to the deaths of Sergeant Olawoye, Babatunde Adeleye and Bola Adebisi, as well as the attempted murder of other people wounded during the violence.
The court ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Federal Correctional Centre in Ado-Ekiti pending legal advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions.
However, no final High Court judgment or conviction against him in that case has been established from the records reviewed.