Says Conviction May Deepen National Tension
By Muhammed Akindele
Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has reacted to the conviction of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, warning that the development may heighten tension at a time the country is battling economic hardship and rising insecurity.
In a statement posted on his official social media page on Monday, Obi said the Federal Government mishandled Kanu’s case from the onset and missed several opportunities to use dialogue and political solutions instead of arrests and prosecution.
Kanu was recently sentenced to live imprisonment after years of detention, following his controversial re-arrest in 2021. His conviction has generated some debate on the government’s approach to separatist agitations amid heightened insecurity in the south-east.
Obi said Kanu “should never have been arrested,” arguing that the issues the IPOB leader consistently raised were not beyond peaceful negotiation.
“His arrest, detention, and now conviction represent a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake,” Obi said.
“The concerns Kanu raised were not unheard of, and the matters for which he demanded solutions were not insoluble. It only required wisdom, empathy, and a willingness to listen.”
The former governor of Anambra State expressed concern that the conviction may worsen mistrust at a time when Nigerians are grappling with inflation, unemployment, and nationwide insecurity.
He also noted that democratic nations sometimes adopt political settlements when legal processes fail to address deep-rooted grievances.
“While some may insist the law has taken its course, leadership often demands more than a strict, mechanical application of the law. Nations resort to negotiated settlements and even amnesty when legal processes alone cannot serve the broader interest of peace,” he added.
Obi criticised what he described as the government’s “hostile approach,” warning that it could intensify agitation in the region and create further instability.
The Labour Party standard-bearer urged President Bola Tinubu, the Council of State, and other elder statesmen to intervene and explore options that promote peace and national cohesion.
“If we desire a new Nigeria—one that is united and peaceful—our leaders must choose healing over hostility, and dialogue over division,” he said, calling for reconciliation and long-term solutions.
