LAGOS — The sudden political transformation of Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, from a hunted separatist to a frontline campaigner for the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ignited a fierce national debate over the Federal Government’s “double standards” in handling high-profile agitators.
While Igboho was spotted this week in Ibadan proudly wearing APC regalia and pledging his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, his counterpart in the Southeast, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains behind bars serving a life sentence.
The ‘Freedom for Loyalty’ Bargain
Igboho, who only months ago was facing extradition and terrorism-related charges, appears to have reached a total reconciliation with the State. His presence at the Oyo APC State Congress on Tuesday and his subsequent endorsement of the President have led critics to allege a “political pardon” in exchange for his services as a regional enforcer.
“The mission is now clear,” said a prominent opposition coordinator in Lagos, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Igboho was freed not because of justice, but to be mobilized as a political weapon to threaten and silence Tinubu’s opponents in Yorubaland ahead of 2027. It is a shameful use of state power.”
The Contrast: Kanu’s Life Sentence
The optics of Igboho’s freedom are further complicated by the fate of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment at the Sokoto Correctional Centre after convicting him on seven counts of terrorism.
While the Presidency maintains that Kanu’s actions led to direct bloodshed in the Southeast, legal observers point out that both men led movements that challenged the nation’s sovereignty. The disparity in their treatment—one integrated into the ruling party and the other condemned to a life tail—has triggered fresh accusations of ethnic bias and “judicial selection.”
Regional Enforcement and Threats
The fears of Igboho being used as a “political tool” gained traction following his recent rhetoric against perceived rivals of the President. During a gathering at the Olubadan’s palace this week, Igboho reportedly used stern language against those “working against the interest of the Southwest,” specifically mentioning figures aligned with the opposition.
His offer to “flush out bandits” from Yoruba forests, provided he receives official state backing, has also raised concerns about the emergence of state-sanctioned militias ahead of the next election cycle.
Official Silence
The APC leadership in Oyo State has welcomed Igboho’s “reception into the progressive fold,” viewing it as a victory for regional unity. However, the Federal Ministry of Justice has yet to comment on whether the pending charges against Igboho have been formally dropped or if his new political status grants him immunity from further prosecution.
As 2027 approaches, the “Igboho-Kanu” contrast is expected to remain a volatile campaign issue, with the opposition already labelling it the “darkest chapter of selective justice” in Nigeria’s recent history.
