Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that some political leaders from the South-East were responsible for the continued detention of the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News Channel ‘Prime Time’ show on Thursday night, Sowore claimed that certain politicians in the region fear that Kanu’s release could threaten their political ambitions.
“I have once mentioned here that Kanu’s predicament or ordeal is a result of some persons in the South-East who took a decision that his release will jeopardise their political career and future,” Sowore said.
He disclosed that he was involved in early discussions aimed at securing Kanu’s release shortly after President Bola Tinubu assumed office, but some South-East politicians opposed it for political reasons.
“That, I know as far back as when Tinubu freshly became president, because I was part of some conversations to release him, and they said at that time Imo elections were coming, if he came out, the APC might not win,” he stated. “And so I realise that some of the communiqués we see, word of mouth by day, when they go at night or when they meet Tinubu, they have a different position.”
Sowore said that his recent attempts to reach some of the South-East political leaders over the renewed agitation for Kanu’s release were met with silence.
“When I started contacting them in the last 24 hours, I was shocked. Some of them that I used to be able to reach just switched off their lines. The ones I sent messages to never responded,” he said.
He mentioned that he reached out to several prominent figures, including Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo; Abia State governor, Alex Otti, and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, but got little or no response.
“I reached out to Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, whom I know personally—no response till now. Alex Otti, he used to be a columnist for Sahara Reporters, so I know him personally—no response. The only response I got was that ‘you shouldn’t have dragged us the way you did.’ I reached out to Peter Obi, they said he was in Rome, but I sent a message saying, ‘Okay, you can behave as Romans do too,’” Sowore recounted.
The activist, however, acknowledged that some individuals, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, have shown support for Kanu’s release from detention.
“Some have been encouraging. I reached out to Senator Abaribe, and he responded and said, ‘I am in on this,’” he added. “A number of people have signed up publicly and privately, but there is no unified response from South-Eastern political leaders or traditional rulers or even the religious priesthood there, which many had expected would happen.”
Sowore noted that while the political class appeared divided, young people across the country had shown overwhelming support for Kanu’s release, prompting concern from the federal government.
“A lot of young people have signed up to this, and you can see that the Nigerian government is pushing back because they have seen the responses to the unequivocal support for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. I don’t think they were expecting that the response would be so favourable and sweet,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with President Tinubu’s recent symbolic pardons for a pre-independence nationalist, Sowore questioned why similar compassion could not be extended to Kanu.
“On my way here, I heard that Tinubu pardoned pre-independence nationalist (Herbert) Macaulay and the others. Why can’t the same be done for Kanu?” he asked. “I am not saying he should be pardoned, but he should be released.”
