Grasping for Relevance: How Atiku and Sowore Are Turning Nnamdi Kanu’s Struggle into a Political Stage
Grasping for Relevance: How Atiku and Sowore Are Turning Nnamdi Kanu’s Struggle into a Political Stage
By Akin Alade
In the restless theatre of Nigerian politics, where attention is currency and silence is costly, two familiar figures have found a new script — one that casts them as champions of freedom, but critics say as actors chasing lost relevance.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and fiery activist Omoyele Sowore have both thrown their weight behind the planned “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” protest scheduled for October 20. To their supporters, it is an act of conscience; to their detractors, it is a desperate performance aimed at reviving dwindling popularity, especially among the Igbos and a skeptical Nigerian public.
The protest, which seeks the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, is being organized by Sowore under his African Action Congress (AAC) platform. Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has publicly endorsed it. Their sudden convergence has sparked both interest and outrage — particularly from a group of Igbo professionals in the United States who see the movement as political opportunism masquerading as activism.
A Protest or a Publicity Stunt?
The U.S.-based coalition, Njiko Amaka, in a statement signed by Chiefs Emeka Ejidike and Okey Anosike, accused both men of “exploiting Nnamdi Kanu’s detention for personal relevance.”
> “We have watched with concern the sudden interest of Sowore and Atiku in Nnamdi Kanu’s case,” the group said. “These are men who lost relevance at the polls and are now looking for a new platform to be noticed.”
To the group, this protest is not about justice or fairness but visibility — a bid to stay politically relevant after their defeats in the 2023 elections.
Sowore, whose activism dates back to his student union days and the “Occupy Nigeria” protests, has long been associated with street movements. But for Atiku, a career politician and businessman, public demonstrations have never been his terrain. That contrast, Njiko Amaka argues, is exactly why his new-found activism raises eyebrows.
“Atiku Abubakar has never organized nor joined any protest to free anyone from his region, including Mohammed Usman (Khalid al-Barnawi), who masterminded the 2011 UN bombing in Abuja. Yet today, he cries more than the bereaved over Nnamdi Kanu,” the group said.
Sowore’s Familiar Script
For Sowore, critics say, the “Free Kanu” campaign fits a familiar pattern — protest as platform, activism as branding. Since his presidential bid failed to make electoral inroads, his visibility has largely depended on political agitation and human rights advocacy.
Njiko Amaka argues that this latest movement is another act in the same performance, designed to keep Sowore’s name in the headlines and his relevance alive in a political space that quickly forgets yesterday’s contenders.
“We respect activism, but not manipulation,” the group noted. “This is about attention, not action.”
The Politics Beneath the Placards
Political observers agree that both Atiku and Sowore have struggled to maintain national relevance since 2023. Atiku, despite his longstanding presence on the political scene, has faced dwindling influence amid divisions in the PDP and growing fatigue over his repeated presidential ambitions. Sowore, though energetic and vocal, remains a fringe figure — more visible online than in actual electoral outcomes.
Their sudden alignment over Kanu’s case, analysts suggest, offers both men a convenient stage to reconnect with disenchanted Nigerians, particularly in the South-East, where emotion over Kanu’s detention still runs deep.
> “This is less about Kanu and more about positioning for 2027,” says one Lagos-based political analyst. “Atiku wants to appear empathetic to the Igbos, while Sowore is using it to reclaim the protest space and revive his brand.”
Why the Igbos Are Skeptical
The skepticism from Igbo circles is not accidental. The South-East has grown wary of politicians who invoke their causes only when politically convenient. Many believe Atiku’s endorsement of the protest is a calculated effort to repair his fractured relationship with the region, after years of political promises that yielded little.
Njiko Amaka warns that such “external interference” could disrupt ongoing judicial and political efforts to resolve Kanu’s case peacefully.
“This is the wrongest of times to do anything that might derail the renewed judicial momentum,” the group said, invoking an Igbo proverb about misplaced timing — “You don’t light a lantern at sunrise.”
They instead praised recent remarks by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, who hinted that a political solution to Kanu’s prolonged detention was already being considered by South-East leaders in dialogue with the Federal Government.
“We are happy that Ndigbo are not in short supply of worthy torchbearers who can plead our cause. We have governors, senators, and representatives who are capable of engaging constructively,” the group said.
Between Sympathy and Strategy
Yet, beyond accusations and counterclaims lies a deeper truth about Nigerian politics: no cause is ever too sacred for opportunism. The detention of Nnamdi Kanu remains one of the most emotionally charged issues in the country, particularly in the South-East. It carries not just legal implications, but cultural and political symbolism.
By attaching themselves to the “Free Kanu” campaign, Atiku and Sowore have placed themselves in the center of a potent emotional current — one capable of reviving public sympathy, boosting name recognition, and rebuilding bridges to constituencies that abandoned them at the polls.
It’s a familiar political move — find a public grievance, amplify it, and ride its wave to renewed visibility.
The Cost of Misplaced Activism
But while both men may hope to reap political goodwill, Njiko Amaka and other critics warn of potential consequences. Any poorly coordinated protest, they argue, risks inflaming tensions or disrupting the fragile progress being made through legal and political channels.
> “This is not the time for grandstanding,” the group insisted. “We urge Nigerians to reject this protest and focus instead on genuine dialogue.”
For them, the real champions of the South-East are not those shouting in foreign streets or staging political photo opportunities, but the leaders quietly negotiating solutions at home.
A Familiar Nigerian Story
Ultimately, the controversy surrounding the “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” protest is a story Nigeria knows too well — the story of politicians reinventing themselves through the pain of others. Whether it was fuel subsidy protests, restructuring debates, or regional agitations, Nigeria’s political landscape has always been a revolving stage where yesterday’s losers reappear as today’s activists.
Atiku and Sowore, both intelligent and ambitious, understand the power of emotion in politics. But as October 20 approaches, their critics insist that empathy without sincerity is merely strategy in disguise.
For the Igbos who have borne the brunt of Kanu’s detention, and for Nigerians tired of political theater, the question remains:
Is this really about freedom — or just another audition for 2027?
