Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown his weight behind the campaign led by human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Atiku, in a post on his official X handle on Thursday, described Kanu’s continued detention as “an open sore on the nation’s conscience and a stain on Nigeria’s belief in the rule of law.” He condemned the Federal Government’s defiance of court orders granting Kanu bail, calling it “an abuse of power and an assault on justice.”
“The continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains an open sore on our nation’s conscience and a stain on our belief in the rule of law. Defying court orders that granted him bail is an abuse of power and an assault on justice,” Atiku said. “I, therefore, lend my voice in full support of the campaign led by Yele Sowore for his immediate release or due prosecution. We fail as patriots if we allow Kanu’s case to fester as yet another wound this nation refuses to heal.”
Sowore, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the African Action Congress (AAC), had on Wednesday challenged prominent Southeast and national leaders including Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti to join him in a protest march to the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on October 20.
“The time for rhetoric is over. Let every politician or person of good conscience who wants Nnamdi Kanu released join us in action,” Sowore declared, announcing that the “historic” #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest would begin at 7 a.m. on October 20.
The activist said he had personally reached out to several influential figures, including Atiku, Soludo, Otti, and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, urging them to participate in the peaceful and lawful demonstration. He stressed that the movement was not about politics but about justice and national healing.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021. Despite multiple court rulings ordering his release including an October 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that acquitted him of all charges, the Federal Government has refused to comply.
The IPOB leader faces charges of terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement before the Federal High Court in Abuja, all of which he has consistently denied. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 16 after Justice James Omotosho adjourned proceedings to allow the Nigerian Medical Association to conclude an assessment of his health condition.
With Atiku’s endorsement, Sowore’s campaign for Kanu’s release has gained renewed national attention, signaling a rare moment of unity among opposition figures in calling for adherence to the rule of law.
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