‘Act of desperation by opposition figures’ — APC condemns #FreeNnamdiKanu protest

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos says the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest is “politically motivated and reckless”. 

The protest is led by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and ex-presidential candidate, and backed by Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president, and some politicians in the south-east.

Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021.

A statement on Monday by Seye Oladejo, the party’s spokesperson in Lagos, said the demonstrations were not genuine calls for justice but a “carefully scripted act of desperation” by opposition figures.

He said the APC condemned in strong terms the “orchestrated tension and politically induced agitations”.

“It is disturbing that some opposition leaders who should know better are the ones endorsing and sponsoring these protests,” he said.

Oladejo likened their involvement to “a classic case of the biblical voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau”, insisting the movement was a “deceitful manipulation hiding behind the façade of activism”.

“While freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are guaranteed in any democracy, what we are witnessing is far from a legitimate call for justice,” he said.

“It is a dangerous display of reckless politics by desperate politicians who see chaos as their last political weapon. This so-called protest is not about justice — it is about political frustration.”

He described the demonstrations as “insensitive” given the insecurity that has plagued the south-east in recent years.

“The organisers have chosen to mock the memories of those who lost their lives to violence and kidnappings in the region,” Oladejo said.

“They ignore the tears of widows, the pains of orphans, and the devastation of communities ruined by senseless violence. Their protest is not a demand for justice; it is a betrayal of the sacrifices of the innocent.”

He noted that the sit-at-home orders and violence in the region have left citizens traumatised, traders afraid to open their shops, and children deprived of education.

“Instead of helping their people to heal, these political opportunists are fanning the embers of division in search of cheap relevance,” he said.

Oladejo maintained that Nnamdi Kanu’s case remains a judicial matter before the courts, adding that “no one is above the law”.

“Nigeria’s judiciary is competent, independent, and capable of delivering justice without recourse to mob pressure or street intimidation,” he said.

He urged security agencies to remain alert and called on leaders in the south-east to reject what he described as “the antics of those who traffic in bitterness”.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we must not allow political desperation to tear it apart. There must indeed be a limit to bitter politics,” he added.