PETER OBI RESPONDS TO SOWORE’S ARREST BY NIGERIAN POLICE

August 8, 2025

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By: Muftau Fatimo

Peter Obi, one of the declared presidential aspirants for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, has spoken out against the arrest of former presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore.

Sowore was taken into custody on Thursday after voluntarily appearing at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja in response to an official invitation.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning, Obi called for Sowore’s immediate release, questioning the rationale behind detaining a citizen who complied with a police summons.

Obi expressed deep concern over the conduct of Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies, noting that no clear or credible charges had been made public against Sowore.

He argued that the circumstances surrounding the arrest raised serious questions about the intent behind the activist’s detention.

“To detain a citizen who voluntarily responded to a police invitation, without publicly stating any lawful or specific charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but also an abuse of state power,” said Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

The former governor of Anambra State cautioned that failing to release Sowore would further erode public confidence in the country’s law enforcement institutions.