Ahead of a planned protest by activist Omoyele Sowore demanding the release of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, the Presidency has criticised the move, describing it as an attempt to incite disorder under the guise of activism.
Sowore, publisher of the online news platform Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 elections, had announced that the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest would take place on October 20 at 7 a.m., calling it a “historic” demonstration to press for Kanu’s freedom.
Reacting to the planned march, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his verified X handle, accused Sowore of attempting to provoke unrest under the pretext of human rights advocacy.
Onanuga described Sowore as “an anarchist masquerading as a rights activist,” alleging that the protest was a calculated effort to undermine the rule of law.
“You very well know that Nnamdi Kanu is facing trial for treason, and yet you want to cause a breakdown of law and order by mobilising for a protest,” Onanuga wrote.
“Is this the kind of revolution you envisage for Nigeria, where the rule of law will be violated and your idea of justice would be the law of the jungle?”
He also criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for reportedly supporting the planned protest, describing his position as opportunistic and unbecoming of a statesman.
“I am surprised that ex-VP Atiku Abubakar, who is always opportunistic, has supported the planned mob action. As a statesman, he should know that matters of justice are not resolved on the streets but in the law court,” he said.
Onanuga reaffirmed that while the judicial process in Kanu’s case may appear slow, the Federal Government remains committed to due process and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to shun any action capable of breaching public peace, stressing that lawful means, not street protests, remain the appropriate avenue for seeking justice and redress.
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