Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is because he refused to accept conditions reportedly accepted by Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba nation agitator, which included campaigning for President Bola Tinubu in the South East.
Sowore made these claims recently comparing the political approaches of both agitators and their relationships with the current Nigerian administration.
Sowore claimed that Kanu remained in detention because he refused to abandon his agitation and, specifically, refused to campaign for President Tinubu to facilitate his release.
Sowore implied that Sunday Igboho accepted certain conditions to regain freedom, including aligning with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporting President Tinubu, while Kanu refused such political compromises.
Political Prisoner Status: Sowore described Kanu as a “political prisoner” whose detention is being influenced by political interests, rather than purely legal ones, noting that many Igbo leaders have also failed to prioritize his release.
Sowore alleged that there were earlier negotiations to release Kanu, but they were obstructed by political stakeholders, particularly around the time of the 2023 elections.
As of November 2025, Nnamdi Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges related to terrorism, a judgment that has been widely discussed amidst ongoing calls for his release.
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