Social critic and activist, Mahdi Shehu, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of using the planned diplomatic intervention to secure the release of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu from a UK prison as part of a political strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a post shared via his official X account on Tuesday, Shehu claimed that Tinubu’s sudden interest in Ekweremadu’s case was not driven by compassion but by political calculation.
According to him, the President’s decision to set up a high-powered committee to engage the United Kingdom government over the imprisoned senator’s release was “a strategic move aimed at winning political favour,” not a humanitarian act.
“The UK justice system is nearly watertight. The opportunity to resolve the Ekweremadu issue was lost long ago,” Shehu stated.
He argued that Nigeria currently lacks a substantive ambassador to the UK, who could have handled such diplomatic efforts through official channels.
Shehu maintained that the only realistic path left for Nigeria was to consider a prisoner transfer agreement, if such a treaty exists between both nations.
“My take is that Tinubu is using the jamboree trip to show he cares and is concerned because the election is approaching,” he said.
“Ekweremadu is the only visible Ndi-Igbo that is not on the train from Bombay to Goa. And with him on board, Ndi-Igbo will be finally captured.”
The activist further alleged that other Nigerians imprisoned abroad would not receive similar attention because, in his words, “they hold no political value to Tinubu.”
Comments