Prominent social critic, Mahdi Shehu, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed efforts to secure the release of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, from a United Kingdom prison are politically driven ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Shehu, in a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, accused the President of using Ekweremadu’s plight to score political points rather than acting out of compassion or diplomatic responsibility.
According to him, Tinubu’s decision to constitute a high-powered committee to engage British authorities over the lawmaker’s imprisonment was more of a strategic political manoeuvre than a humanitarian gesture.
“Suddenly, President Tinubu wakes up from his diplomatic slumber and remembers Ike Ekweremadu, who has been languishing in a UK jail since 2023. The timing and manner of this move say a lot about political calculations ahead of 2027,” Shehu stated.
The activist further criticised the administration for its late intervention, noting that Nigeria currently lacks a substantive ambassador to the United Kingdom who could have pursued the matter through proper diplomatic channels.
“The UK justice system is almost watertight. The opportunity to address the Ekweremadu issue was lost long ago. Setting up a committee now is more symbolic than effective,” he added.
Ekweremadu, a three-term senator and former Deputy Senate President, was sentenced by a London court in 2023 alongside his wife, Beatrice, for organ trafficking. The couple was convicted for attempting to arrange an illegal organ transplant for their ailing daughter.
