Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and publisher of Sahara Reporters, is once again at the center of public outrage following revelations about his son’s expensive education in the United States.
Lere Olayinka, a political commentator, disclosed on X (formerly Twitter) that Sowore’s 14-year-old son, Komi, is enrolled at the Dwight-Englewood School in New Jersey, one of the most expensive private institutions in America. The school charges $54,605 (about ₦85 million) per term, amounting to a staggering $163,815 (around ₦250 million) annually in tuition.
The revelation has fueled criticisms that Sowore, who brands himself as a voice for the oppressed masses, is instead living lavishly while Nigerians grapple with economic hardship. Olayinka further alleged that the activist-turned-politician supplements the tuition with an additional $700 for an iPad, underscoring what he described as “flamboyant indulgence funded through blackmail and questionable grants.”
“The cashtivist Sowore is paying $163,815 per annum as tuition fee plus $700 for iPad on his 14-year-old son! That’s how he is lavishing the millions he is getting from blackmailing people and the millions of dollars grants from his cashtivist business,” Olayinka wrote.
The post has since ignited heated debate online. While some social media users dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated, others argued that Sowore’s credibility as a critic of corruption is compromised by his own lifestyle choices.
One user, @idofoi, remarked, “This is getting messy. Sowore should know that some wars and battles are needless. He launched an attack on Wike’s family, now they are coming for his 14-year-old. Did he think they won’t get to him somehow? Both men should face each other and put their families out of this.”
Another respondent accused Olayinka of merely attempting to please political benefactors, while others insisted that evidence must be provided to back the claims.
Nevertheless, the disclosure has sparked renewed questions about how Sowore finances his activities, with critics pointing to Sahara Reporters’ controversial funding and alleged reliance on foreign grants.
For a man who has built his reputation on calling out excesses of Nigerian politicians and accusing leaders of misusing public funds, the optics of enrolling his teenage son in one of America’s costliest schools appears to many as hypocritical.