The All Progressives Congress has accused the opposition figures of orchestrating the ongoing protest demanding the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, saying “it is a dangerous display of reckless politics”.

In a statement on Monday, the party’s spokesperson in Lagos described the protest as politically motivated and intended to incite tension in the country.

“The All Progressives Congress, Lagos State chapter, condemns in the strongest terms the orchestrated tension and politically motivated street agitations being staged in parts of the country, especially across the South East, under the banner of the #FreeNnamdiKanuProtest.

“While freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are sacrosanct in any democracy, what we are witnessing is far from a legitimate call for justice—it is a dangerous display of reckless politics, carefully scripted by desperate opposition figures who see chaos as their last political weapon,” said the statement.

Key opposition figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had backed the protest organised by activist Omoyele Sowore, describing Mr Kanu’s prolonged detention as unconstitutional.

While noting that the so-called protest is not about justice, the ruling party said it represents the height of bitter, destructive politics from opposition figures who have been roundly rejected by Nigerians at the polls to exploit national issues in search of cheap relevance.

“We find it deeply disturbing that certain opposition leaders, who should know better, are shamelessly endorsing and sponsoring these street theatrics. Their involvement reveals what can only be described as a classic case of the Biblical hand of Jacob, but the voice of Esau—deceitful manipulation hiding behind the façade of activism. But let them be reminded: they will not gain in the streets what they have disgracefully lost at the polls,” the statement explained.

The party further accused the organisers of gross insensitivity, accusing them of ignoring the tears of widows, the pains of orphans, and the devastation of communities ruined by senseless violence in the South East.

It stated, “At a time when the South-East is still bleeding from years of mindless bloodshed, kidnappings, and enforced sit-at-home orders—all consequences of violent agitation—these individuals have chosen to mock the memories of the victims.

“For years, ordinary citizens in the South East have lived in fear—traders afraid to open their shops, transporters grounded by threats, children deprived of education, and families shattered by insecurity. Yet, instead of standing with their people to heal these wounds, these political opportunists have returned to fan the embers of division, hoping to profit from instability.”

Insisting that Mr Kanu’s case remains a judicial matter properly before the courts, the ruling party charged the security agencies and Nigerians in the South-East to be vigilant and reject the antics of bitter politicians.

“The Lagos APC, therefore, calls on security agencies to remain vigilant, and on all patriotic Nigerians—especially leaders of thought in the South East—to reject the antics of those who traffic in bitterness. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we must not allow political desperation to tear it apart,” the statement said.