‘It’s a shame’ – Seun Kuti calls out Tinubu over Sowore’s detention

Seun Kuti, Nigerian Afrobeats singer, has called out Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over the continued detention of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters.

Sowore, an activist and the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate at the 2019 elections, was arrested on August 3, for “threatening public peace and safety” with his instigation of the #RevolutionNow protest.

In a recent interview, Kuti said it’s a shame that the activist was arrested under an administration with Tinubu as the “ruler” of the leading party considering his background and the role he played in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

He, however, faulted Sowore for attempting to stage a revolution on behalf of the people instead of carrying Nigerians along.

“It is a shame that an administration with Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu will lock somebody up when he’s the leader of that party that is ruling, for saying Revolution Now, knowing the history of NADECO, the role that he played, and where we all came from, from 1993 till date,” Kuti said.

“I think it was a bit harsh. The only thing I told Sowore was that he needed a bit more time to take people along. You can’t do revolution on the people’s behalf. You have to do your revolution with the people.”

Seun Kuti speaks about Sowore's arrest. He also talked about why he can't accept a political appointment from the current administration.

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— #BBNaija Laila Ijeoma (@LailaIjeoma) September 27, 2019

NADECO was a political party formed in 1994 by a broad coalition of Nigerian democrats who called on the military government of Sani Abacha to step down in favor of M. K. O. Abiola, the winner of the June 12, 1993 election.

On September 19, the federal government charged Sowore to court for “conspiracy to commit treason” and “insulting” President Muhammadu Buhari.