Activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has declared October 20 as the date for a protest march aimed at demanding the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
He made this announcement on his X handle on Thursday.
According to Sowore, the protest would be a “historic” march to the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, assuring that it would remain peaceful and legal as it seeks the release of the IPOB leader.
He wrote, “We now have a date for the historic #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest march to the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. It is October 20 at 7 am.”
On Wednesday, Sowore had also called on South-East governors, lawmakers, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to take part in the demonstration.
“No more empty noise. Let @CCSoludo, @SenatorAbaribe, @alexottiofr, @PeterObi, and all others who claim to care step up and join us in person.
“Every governor, senator, member of the House, traditional ruler, priest, eze, Igbo person, and every Nigerian who believes in Kanu’s freedom should come out and do more than talk,” he added.
He further stressed that he reached out to other notable Igbo leaders such as Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti; and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, urging them to join the protest.
“I have tried reaching out personally to Dr. @alexottiofr, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo @CCSoludo, and Mr @PeterObi (through his team) today. Alex Otti and Soludo neither took my calls nor responded to my messages. They promised to tell Mr. @PeterObi about our plans, although he is currently travelling. I also reached out to Alhaji @AtikuAbubakar through his team, while Senator @SenatorAbaribe said he would return my call. I spoke with Obinna Agwuocha of the House of Representatives. He was receptive and encouraging.
“The Abia State House of Assembly members informed me that they plan to travel to London next week and then return directly to Abuja for further action. They mentioned they intend to visit the Attorney General of the Federation first to lodge a complaint; they didn’t anticipate a “placard” protest. I told them, that’s fine; what matters most is that we agree on a unified date for action.
“This is not the time for hesitation. If we genuinely believe that @MaziNnamdiKanu deserves freedom, then every leader of conscience must act, now, not later,” he wrote.
It will be recalled that Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since his re-arrest in 2021 after his controversial extradition from Kenya.
Although multiple courts have ordered his release, the Federal Government has yet to comply, attracting criticism from rights organisations and political leaders.
The IPOB leader is currently facing charges of terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement, filed by the Federal Government before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu has repeatedly pleaded not guilty to all allegations.
In October 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted him of every charge, declaring that his extradition to Nigeria breached international laws.
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