Some South-East Leaders Publicly Support Kanu, Privately Oppose His Release Over Fear For Their Political Futures –Sowore

October 10, 2025

Human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, has accused top political figures from Nigeria’s South-East region of secretly working against the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

According to Sowore, these leaders fear that Kanu’s freedom could threaten their political ambitions and future prospects.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News TV, Sowore alleged that several prominent South-East politicians — including Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti — have refused to respond to his outreach regarding a planned nationwide protest demanding Kanu’s release.

“I once said on this platform that Kanu’s ordeal is largely the result of decisions made by certain individuals in the South-East who believe his release would endanger their political futures,” Sowore stated.

He added that, as early as the beginning of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, some South-East politicians had privately expressed fears that releasing Kanu could affect their electoral fortunes — particularly during the Imo State governorship election.

“I was part of discussions aimed at securing his release,” Sowore revealed. “But I was told that if Kanu were freed before the Imo election, the APC might lose.”

According to him, many South-East politicians publicly call for Kanu’s freedom but privately adopt a different stance when meeting with those in power.

“Most of the communiqués and public statements you see are mere posturing,” he said. “By day, they speak of justice and fairness, but at night, when they meet Tinubu, their tone changes.”

Sowore also disclosed that in the last 24 hours, he had personally contacted several South-East leaders to mobilize them for the planned protest but received little to no response.

“Some of them switched off their phones,” he said. “Those I messaged never replied. I reached out to Soludo—no response. I reached out to Alex Otti, whom I know personally from his days as a SaharaReporters columnist—no word from him either.”

He further mentioned contacting Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate.

“We were told he’s in Rome,” Sowore said. “So I sent him a message saying he could ‘act like the Romans do’ — meaning he should join the people in demanding justice.”

However, Sowore praised Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who had previously stood surety for Kanu before his re-arrest, noting that Abaribe had pledged to participate in the protest.

“I reached out to Abaribe, and he agreed. He said, ‘I’m in.’ I know what he endured when he was detained for standing surety for Kanu,” Sowore recounted. “In fact, I once slept on Abaribe’s bed at the DSS facility in 2019 shortly after his release.”

Sowore added that while a few lawmakers from the South-East had expressed support, there was still no coordinated response from regional leaders, traditional rulers, or religious authorities.

“Some individuals have signed up, but there’s no unified stance from the South-East political class or the clergy, which many people expected,” he said.

Despite this, Sowore maintained that thousands of young Nigerians—especially from the South-East—had already committed to joining the protest, which aims to pressure the federal government to release Kanu.

“The government has started pushing back because the public response has been overwhelmingly in support of Kanu’s release,” he stated. “I don’t think they anticipated such strong and swift solidarity.”

Sowore also revealed that he met with former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday to discuss Kanu’s detention and seek his support for a peaceful resolution.

Following the meeting, Sowore said Jonathan acknowledged the need for a solution that fosters national healing and reconciliation, even though he would not make any public statement on the matter.

He added that Jonathan assured him he would discuss the issue with President Tinubu in the coming days to explore possible ways forward.