Aloy Ejimakor, the legal consultant of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has described the prosecution of the African Action Congress, AAC, presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, as a dangerous gamble.
In a post on his verified X handle on Thursday, Ejimakor urged President Bola Tinubu to have a rethink the wisdom of prosecuting Sowore over something as trivial as a social media post.
He said that history is a relentless teacher, recalling on the political trial and conviction of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1960s which he said helped spark a crisis that eventually plunged Nigeria into a military coup and a devastating civil war.
“Repeating such heavy-handed tactics against political opponents near an election cycle is a dangerous gamble.
“The surprise court appearance of the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi on July 27 was a missed opportunity to apply the brakes.
“Rather than escalating the state’s fight against an active presidential candidate, the Attorney-General should return to court next time to enter a nolle prosequi and discontinue the case.
“Subjecting a presidential candidate to the rigors of trial so close to the general election creates terrible democratic optics.
“It projects weakness and fear of opposition rather than democratic confidence. It is time to discontinue the case and protect our democratic stability,” he wrote.
‘Dangerous gamble’ – Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer warns against prosecuting Sowore close to 2027 polls