Dare Babalola
Presidential Adviser Chief Sunday Dare has advised Omoyele Sowore, activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, against staging street protests to influence ongoing judicial proceedings, emphasizing that justice is best served in courtrooms.
Chief Dare reacted to the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest led by Omoyele Sowore in Abuja on Monday, describing the demonstration as counterproductive and detrimental to the rule of law.
“Protests, threats, attempts at mob actions, and inflammatory rhetoric do not aid the judicial process. Instead, they hinder it, creating unnecessary tension and undermining the rule of law,” he wrote on X on Monday.
The presidential aide noted that Sowore’s habit of courting public sympathy to influence judicial proceedings is not only outdated but also counterproductive, adding that such actions are unacceptable in any law-abiding society.
“You cannot employ protest and civil unrest to demand the release of someone accused of terrorism and whose case is still in court. Not even in America,” Dare said.
He clarified that the case of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), long predates President Bola Tinubu’s administration and remains strictly under judicial consideration.
According to him, “This administration respects the independence of the courts and will not interfere in ongoing legal proceedings.”
While reaffirming the President’s commitment to justice and constitutional order, Dare warned that freedom and democracy “have their limits,” adding that “testing these limits will invite the full application of the laws as clearly stated.
“The judiciary should be let alone to do its work without interference. President Tinubu remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice is served fairly and transparently,” he said.
