Kanu Should Not Have Been Arrested Or Convicted— Says Peter Obi
Peter Obi, 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, has criticised the arrest and conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
Gatekeepers News reports that in a post on X, the politician warned that Kanu’s life imprisonment sentence could heighten tensions in Nigeria’s south-east.
Obi described Kanu’s detention and sentencing as a failure of leadership, stating that it risks deepening divisions amid ongoing economic challenges and insecurity.
He stressed that Kanu’s arrest was unnecessary and that the government should have prioritised dialogue, constructive engagement, and inclusive governance over coercive measures.
Obi said, “The concerns Kanu raised were not unheard of, and the issues he demanded solutions for were not insoluble”, adding that addressing such grievances requires wisdom, empathy, and a willingness to listen which were missing in the government’s approach.
The former Anambra Governor cautioned that the handling of Kanu’s case has intensified mistrust and distracted Nigerians from pressing national challenges.
While acknowledging that the law has taken its course, Obi urged leaders to go beyond strict legalism, citing examples from other countries where negotiated settlements, political solutions, and amnesty have been used to foster peace when legal processes alone were insufficient.
He likened the government’s approach to a man trapped in a hole who, instead of looking for a way out, keeps digging deeper, worsening both its predicament and the nation’s situation.
Obi called on the presidency, the council of state, and respected statesmen to pursue reconciliation and inclusivity.
He added, “If we truly desire a new Nigeria — united, peaceful, and progressive — our leaders must choose healing over hostility, reconciliation over retaliation, and dialogue over division.”
