Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticized the Federal Government’s handling of Nnamdi Kanu’s case, urging national leaders to prioritize reconciliation and dialogue.
Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism by the Federal High Court in Abuja, found guilty of inciting violence and belonging to a proscribed organization.
Obi expressed concern that the conviction could worsen national tension, citing severe economic hardship, insecurity, and poor governance in Nigeria.
He emphasized that Kanu’s arrest, detention, and conviction represent a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake.
“The news of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction should compel every well-meaning Nigerian to pause and reflect,” Obi wrote. “Dialogue, constructive engagement, and inclusive governance offer the path to lasting peace.
Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted.”
Obi called on the Presidency, Council of State, and respected statesmen to intervene and seek a political solution, promoting healing over hostility and reconciliation over retaliation. Kanu’s legal team has vowed to appeal the verdict, describing the sentence as excessive.
