Tinubu’s Interest in Ekweremadu Politically Motivated Ahead of 2027 – Mahdi Shehu

Social commentator and activist Mahdi Shehu has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent push to secure the release of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu from a UK prison is less about compassion and more about political strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Shehu made the allegation in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, describing the President’s move as a calculated attempt to woo political support from the South-East.

The activist was reacting to reports that Tinubu had set up a high-powered committee to engage the United Kingdom government on Ekweremadu’s imprisonment. Ekweremadu has been serving a jail term in the UK since 2023 after being convicted for organ trafficking.

Shehu argued that Tinubu’s sudden interest in the case, after years of silence, exposes a political motive rather than a genuine concern for justice or humanitarian grounds.

According to him, “The UK justice system is nearly watertight. The opportunity to resolve the Ekweremadu issue was lost long ago.”

He added that the only viable route available to Nigeria would be through a prisoner transfer agreement, if such a treaty exists between both countries.

Shehu accused Tinubu of trying to exploit Ekweremadu’s situation to gain political mileage, particularly among the Igbo electorate, ahead of 2027.

“My take is that Tinubu is using the jamboree trip to show he cares and is concerned because the election is approaching, and Ekweremadu is the only visible Ndi-Igbo that is not on ‘the train’. With him on board, Ndi-Igbo will be finally captured,” Shehu wrote.

He further argued that other Nigerians imprisoned abroad would not receive similar attention since, in his words, “even if they are released, they will be of no political value to Tinubu.”

Shehu concluded that the move was a “visible miscalculation,” suggesting that Tinubu’s approach could be seen as opportunistic rather than diplomatic.