“Stop the Rhetoric, Let’s March!” – Sowore Challenges Leaders to Storm Aso Rock for Nnamdi Kanu’s Freedom
Abuja, Nigeria – October 9, 2025
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has yesterday issued a bold challenge to Nigerian leaders, calling for an all-out peaceful march to Aso Rock Villa to demand the immediate release of detained IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a fiery public statement shared on social media, Sowore criticized what he called “empty communiqués and endless rhetoric” from political and religious figures who claim to support Kanu’s cause but have done little beyond issuing press statements.
“Stop the communiqués. Stop the pretense. Stop the rhetoric,” Sowore declared. “If you truly want Nnamdi Kanu freed, do more than press releases and communique, let’s all march to Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.”
His message was a direct rebuke to governors, senators, traditional rulers, priests, and community leaders, whom he accused of playing safe politics while a fellow Nigerian remains detained despite multiple court rulings ordering his release.
Sowore, who has himself faced arrest and government persecution for leading protests against state repression, insisted the march would be peaceful and lawful, describing it as a moral duty for every Nigerian “of conscience.”
His call, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, quickly went viral, reigniting public debate about the Nigerian government’s continued defiance of court orders and the broader human-rights implications of Kanu’s prolonged detention.
The activist’s statement comes amid growing frustration over what many describe as judicial and executive impunity in Nigeria, especially following repeated postponements in Kanu’s trial and reports of deteriorating health conditions in detention.
Whether Sowore’s challenge will spark the kind of mass mobilization he envisions remains to be seen, but his message has struck a chord with a public increasingly weary of silence and symbolism in the face of what they perceive as systemic injustice.
