BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Human rights activist and Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has demanded international sanctions against Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji and the organisers of the Ikogosi Marathon after being barred from participating in the 2026 edition of the 17.5-kilometre race.
Sowore urged the global governing body for the sport, World Athletics, to immediately blacklist and sanction the event organizers, accusing them of being complicit in a violent attack on him and his campaign team in Ado-Ekiti just a day before the race.
The ACC flag-bearer made the call on Saturday when the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative released a statement announcing Sowore’s exclusion from the event, citing “serious security concerns” linked to his documented activities.
Although the activist had formally registered for the race, officials revealed he was never cleared or issued an official race bib with the organizers maintaining that the choice was strictly a safety measure and entirely decoupled from Sowore’s political beliefs.
But rejecting the organizers’ justification, Sowore, in a statement posted on his X account, described their reasons as a self-indicting attempt to cover up a “deadly assassination plot” against him, accusing the organisers, led by Makinde Araoye, of complicity in the attack on him and members of his team in Ekiti State
The politician asserted that armed thugs targeted him on Friday, countering a statement by the Ekiti State Police Command which had downplayed the violent encounter as a mere altercation, saying Sowore was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Vowing to fight back, Sowore announced his intention to pursue aggressive legal action against both the marathon’s management and the Ekiti State Government across national and international courts, insisting that sporting events should not be turned into platforms for political violence and intimidation.
“Sporting events must never become hunting grounds for political thugs, government-sponsored violence, intimidation, or assassination. Runners and other participants must be guaranteed safety, regardless of their political beliefs or affiliations,” he said, and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack, insisting that those responsible must be held accountable.
The development follows an incident on Friday in Ado-Ekiti, where Sowore and members of his team were reportedly attacked and injured by some individuals.
Announcing Sowore’s exclusion from the race, the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative, in a statement released on Saturday, the day the 17.5-kilometre race was scheduled to hold, cited security concerns arising from recent incidents involving Sowore and his associates in Ekiti State.
The statement, signed by the management of the initiative, said the decision followed a review of what it described as independently obtained and verifiable evidence, including activities involving Sowore and his associates at its office premises and other locations in Ekiti State.
It said, “Following a review of independently obtained and verifiable evidence, including activities by Mr. Sowore and his associates within the Ikogosi Marathon office premises and elsewhere in Ekiti State, the Initiative determined that his participation raises serious security concerns inconsistent with our commitment to a peaceful sporting environment.”
Also denying that the decision was politically motivated, the organisers said it was based on documented conduct and security considerations rather than Sowore’s political beliefs or affiliation, adding: “The Initiative respects individual political rights but will not permit activities compromising the safety, neutrality, or sporting objectives of our event.”
The initiative said it had maintained a policy against using its platform, facilities, events or branding for political campaigns and partisan demonstrations since 2014.
This is as it also said the 2026 competition would remain open to participants from different backgrounds who complied with its rules, adding that they remained committed to providing a safe and politically neutral environment for runners, volunteers, officials and spectators.
