SERIOUSLY, SOWORE NEEDS TO STOP THIS NNAMDI KANU FOOLISHNESS – It is gaslighting Nigerians for him to compare Nnamdi Kanu to MKO Abiola.

I hear you, @YeleSowore — and as much as I admire your courage and activism, I’m honestly disappointed that you would compare Nnamdi Kanu to MKO Abiola or try to turn your divisive Nnamdi Kanu crusade into a National agenda

While I fully agree that Nnamdi Kanu should have his day in court and that his trial should be concluded speedily, it’s deeply unfortunate that you would even place him in the same conversation as the great MKO Abiola.

Or worse — that you’re now advocating for his unconditional release!

You can call for protests demanding that Nnamdi Kanu be tried quickly and fairly, and I might even join you — because I believe every accused person, even violent dissidents, deserves a fair and speedy trial.

But calling for unconditional freedom for Nnamdi Kanu without trial? That’s not just irresponsible, and it is divisive — and ultimately delusional. And frankly, it’s not the kind of talk one expects from someone aspiring to lead a united Nigeria as a presidential candidate, much less leading a real protest march over it.

And now you’ve doubled down, gaslighting Nigerians by comparing MKO Abiola to Nnamdi Kanu? Seriously? On what possible basis can those two names even appear in the same sentence — much less be described as “similar cases”?

Is it by impact?

Is it by By national acceptance?

Is it By elections won?

Is it By global relevance?

Is it By contribution to democracy?

Is is By love for Nigeria that you aspire to lead?

Is it By local and international respect?

So tell us, my brother — on what basis exactly?

SOME FACT CHECKS FOR SOWORE ON NNAMDI KANU:

Nnamdi Kanu publicly called for the violent breakup of Nigeria — and for that, he must face trial.

NNAMDI Kanu openly urged his followers to attack police officers and harm innocent Lagosians. For that he must face trial

Nnamdi Kanu publicly displayed and inspected men he called “soldiers of his new Biafra” — on Nigerian soil.

Nnamdi Kanu jumped bail, fled the country, and from abroad continued to advocate the violent disintegration of Nigeria until he was eventually apprehended.

MKO Abiola, on the other hand, won a nationwide election.

MKO was loved across every region, every tribe, every faith.

Even when Babangida — the “evil genius” — unjustly robbed him of his mandate, he never called for violence or the breakup of Nigeria.

Even while unjustly imprisoned, MKO Abiola never urged anyone to destroy Nigeria or attack its people.

So, honestly, what are you talking about when you try to equate Nnamdi Kanu’s plight with that of MKO Abiola, bro? Adults do not compare death with snore-dominated sleep

Nnamdi Kanu isn’t even loved by most across the Igbo land he claims to represent. His ragtag followers had to force obedience through illegal “sit-at-home” orders — oppressing the very people he claimed to be fighting for. If he were truly loved, he wouldn’t have to rule by fear or threats from prison.

The fact remains: Nnamdi Kanu is an unrepentant, violent dissident advocating chaos and destruction while MKO Abiola was a peaceful national hero who embodied unity and democracy.

Kanu is facing trial for crimes he proudly committed and still unrepentant about; Abiola died fighting for Nigeria’s democratic mandate.

Nnamdi Kanu hasn’t even won a local government election. He has no formal constituency that has willingly chosen him to lead. He leads NO community willingly except a few rabble rousers who want to unleash violence on our nation and destroy lagos .

And yet — you dare to compare him to MKO Abiola? As in seriously?

I’m genuinely shocked, Sowore — especially coming from you, someone who proudly shows photos with MKO and claims to have fought alongside him for his mandate. You of all people should know the difference.

Frankly, it’s this kind of talk that makes me question whether you truly grasp what national leadership requires. I honestly thought you had matured politically and were ready to become the face of a credible, national opposition. But your obsession with this Nnamdi Kanu cause is proving otherwise.

So, if you ever became president, would you just let every violent dissident run wild? Would you release Nnamdi Kanu — whose IPOB faction is still actively advocating violence against other parts of Nigeria, including our cherished Lagos? Seriously?

I must remind you in case you forgot, Even Nelson Mandela was not released until he renounced violence as a tool for political struggle. And Mandela was a global moral icon — not a rabble-rouser. I know It’s sacrilegious to even mention Nnamdi Kanu and Nelson Mandela in the same sentence, but I raise it only to make a larger point about principle and maturity.

Please, stop comparing MKO Abiola to Nnamdi Kanu. There is absolutely no basis for it — and you look unserious pushing that narrative.

Sure, your followers can drag me all they want — but I said what I said.

Nigeria desperately needs serious opposition leaders — not perpetual protesters or emotional rabble-rousers. Many of us genuinely hoped you would evolve into a statesman capable of providing credible alternatives to the status quo. You do have some great ideas once in a while like the idea to pursue looters abroad. But this Nnamdi Kanu misadventure shows you’re still stuck in activist mode rather than nation-building mode.

I’m sorry to be blunt, but someone who likes you has to tell you the truth. After so many years on the frontlines, it’s time to grow beyond base activism. Nigerian youths need you to transcend beyond the perpetual Aluta mantle .

As Apostle Paul said in Corinthians:

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

It’s time to grow up, Sowore.

Move beyond base activism and transition into the kind of statesman Nigeria’s youth can rally behind. The space Peter Obi occupies today among young Nigerians should have been yours — by default. But they drifted elsewhere because they don’t see statesmanship in your approach.

So, go tidy up and prepare a credible, policy-driven run in 2027 — one that can truly change the lives of struggling Nigerians.

Focus on issues that will unite the nation you claim to want to lead and let Nnamdi Kanu answer for his crimes, as every violent dissident must.🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️

Ope Banwo

Founder, Naija Lives Matter

Mayor Of Fadeyi