The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has responded to the conviction and life sentence handed to the Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, Obi noted that the ruling comes at a period when Nigerians are grappling with intense economic hardship, rising insecurity, and the effects of governance failures.
He cautioned that the development, rather than calming tensions, “may well only aggravate it.”
Obi argued that Kanu’s arrest, prolonged detention, and eventual conviction reflect “a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake.”
His statement read: “I have always maintained that Mazi Kanu should never have been arrested. For years, I have consistently argued that dialogue, constructive engagement, and inclusive governance offer the path to lasting peace. Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted.”
He added, “In this case, I submit that the reason was not only not exhausted, but was probably not explored at all, or not fully explored.
The concerns Kanu raised were not unheard of. The issues for which he demanded solutions were not insoluble.”
“It only required wisdom, empathy, and a willingness to listen. In any functional society, such grievances are met with dialogue and reforms aimed at strengthening unity.”
Obi criticised the government’s strategy, stating that it has “only deepened mistrust and created an avoidable distraction at a time when citizens are overwhelmed by harsh economic realities and insecurity.”
“While some may insist that the law has taken its course, leadership often demands more than a strict, mechanical application of the law. Nations around the world resort to political solutions, negotiated settlements, and even amnesty when legal processes alone cannot serve the broader interest of peace and stability. Nigeria is not an exception.”
He continued that the way Kanu’s case has been handled resembles “the government as a man trapped in a hole but who, instead of looking for a way out, keeps digging deeper. It worsens not only the government’s predicament but also the nation’s collective condition.”
Obi stressed that building a united and progressive country requires leaders who prioritise reconciliation and dialogue over confrontation. “If we truly desire a new Nigeria – a united, peaceful, and progressive one, our leaders must choose healing over hostility, reconciliation over retaliation, and dialogue over division. Only by addressing grievances with justice, fairness, and compassion can we move towards a future where every Nigerian feels heard, valued, and safe.”
He urged Nigerians to remain hopeful: “My ultimate call at this time, without prejudice to how anyone feels about the decision of the court, is for us to be optimistic for peace and reconciliation which will come in the end.”
Obi then appealed to the nation’s highest institutions to intervene. “I am also saying, thereby, that the Presidency, the Council of State and credible statesmen who love this country and who are interested in cohesion and inclusivity, should rise to the occasion, for a lasting solution,” he concluded.
