Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has voiced strong concern over the conviction of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, calling the ruling poorly timed and potentially harmful to national stability, especially amid Nigeria’s current economic and security crises.
In a statement released on Friday, Obi said the development should make Nigerians reflect deeply, warning that the country is already grappling with severe hardship, insecurity, and declining confidence in government institutions. He cautioned that the conviction could inflame tensions rather than ease them.
Obi reaffirmed his stance that Kanu’s arrest and prolonged detention were avoidable, saying the entire situation highlights leadership shortcomings and the failure to address core grievances. He insisted that the concerns raised by Kanu require dialogue, understanding, and inclusive political engagement, not force.
According to the former governor, countries dealing with similar internal agitations often pursue political solutions, negotiated agreements, or forms of amnesty when legal measures alone cannot secure long-term peace. He urged Nigeria to follow this path, especially as citizens face worsening economic hardship and insecurity.
Obi also faulted the Federal Government’s handling of the case, arguing that it has further eroded public trust and shifted attention away from urgent national issues. He called on the Presidency, the Council of State, and influential Nigerians to step in and push for a resolution that encourages unity and reconciliation.
He ended by urging calm, hope, and stronger efforts toward peace-building, noting that Nigeria can only move forward when grievances are treated with fairness, justice, and compassion.
His statement in full …
“Kanu’s Conviction: At a Time Like This.
The news of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction should compel every well-meaning Nigerian to pause and reflect. This is coming at a time when our beloved nation is facing severe economic hardship, insecurity, and the consequences of poor governance.Rather than reducing tension, this unfortunate development may well only aggravate it.
I have always maintained that Mazi Kanu should never have been arrested. His arrest, detention, and now conviction represent a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake.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. 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.
The government’s approach 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.
The handling of Kanu’s case mirrors 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.
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.
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. 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. -PO”
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