Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on Thursday joined protesters in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, as activists and residents took to the streets demanding the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from prison.
According to a statement issued by revolutionary activist Francis Nwapa, Sowore’s presence at the protest reflects years of consistent agitation against state repression and violations of democratic rights of citizens by the Nigerian government.
Sowore has been among the most visible voices demanding Kanu’s release and condemning the militarisation of Nigeria’s South-East region.
“For nearly a decade, Sowore has been among the most visible voices demanding Kanu’s release and condemning the militarisation of the South-East,” Nwapa stated.
“His intervention in Aba is therefore not opportunistic; it is the continuation of a long-standing struggle against injustice and political persecution.”
The protest, which drew activists and supporters from different groups, was held amid renewed calls for Kanu’s release from prison by the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government.
Kanu, who leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was held in the Department of State Services (DSS) detention from June 2021 to November 2025, when Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment after convicting him on seven-count charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.
However, Nwapa in his statement argued that the protest in Aba on Thursday was not only about the demand for Kanu’s release but also about broader resistance against oppression and political repression.
“Marching on the streets of Aba today demonstrates a deeper political truth: no saviour can liberate the working people except the working people themselves,” Nwapa said.
He also criticised the belief among some supporters of the pro-Biafra movement that international actors could intervene in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
Nwapa described as “political fantasies” the expectation that figures such as the United States President Donald Trump could facilitate the realisation of Biafra or decisively intervene in Nigeria’s political crisis.
“Global powers do not liberate oppressed peoples; they pursue their own geopolitical and economic interests,” Nwapa added.
Nwapa further argued that reliance on foreign political figures undermines local struggles for justice, noting that powerful nations often prioritise strategic interests over human rights concerns.
He also criticised the “political opportunism” of former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying Obi remains part of Nigeria’s political elite.
According to him, Obi’s economic ideology promotes policies such as privatisation and austerity, which he said have contributed to worsening poverty, unemployment and inequality across Nigeria.
“Peter Obi is not outside the system responsible for Nigeria’s crisis. He is a long-standing member of the same ruling elite that has dominated Nigerian politics for decades,” Nwapa said.
He added that Obi’s popularity in the South-East is largely tied to regional identity rather than policies that address the socio-economic conditions of ordinary people.
“Identity alone does not bring liberation. Class interests determine political outcomes. And Obi ultimately represents the interests of the wealthy class, not those struggling to survive,” Nwapa stressed.
He also dismissed claims that Sowore’s background as an activist limits his leadership capacity, arguing that many global leaders emerged from grassroots struggles.
Nwapa cited historical figures such as Nelson Mandela, Thomas Sankara, Patrice Lumumba, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi as examples of activists who later led transformative political movements.
“History shows that real change rarely comes from those comfortable within the structures of power. It comes from those who organise, resist, and stand alongside the oppressed,” Nwapa added.
Nwapa said that Nigerians, particularly young people and workers, must reject what he called “false alternatives” offered by the political elite and instead build a mass political movement capable of confronting inequality and state repression.
“Real liberation, whether for Nnamdi Kanu or for the millions trapped in poverty and injustice, will not come from Trump, from foreign powers, or from Nigeria’s ruling elite. It will come from the organised power of the people themselves,” he said.
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