The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has voiced concerns that the recent conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), could escalate tensions in the South-east region.
This follows the court’s judgment handed down on Kanu on Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Abuja.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, responded to the conviction, stating that it is not the end of the road and assured the people of Abia State that he has “activated and will continue to work on his freedom.”
Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction for terrorism.
In a post on X, Obi described Kanu’s arrest, detention, and conviction as a failure of leadership, warning that it risks deepening divisions amid the country’s ongoing economic hardship and insecurity.
Obi argued that Kanu’s detention was unnecessary and that the government should have prioritized dialogue, constructive engagement, and inclusive governance over coercion.
“The concerns Kanu raised were not unheard of, and the issues he demanded solutions for were not insoluble,” Obi stated.
He asserted that addressing such grievances requires wisdom, empathy, and a willingness to listen—qualities he believes were absent in the government’s approach.
The former Anambra State governor cautioned that the government’s handling of the case has only heightened mistrust and distracted Nigerians from pressing challenges.
While acknowledging that “the law has taken its course”, Obi urged leaders to look beyond strict legalism.
He cited examples from other countries where political solutions, negotiated settlements, and amnesty have been utilized to promote peace and stability when legal processes alone were insufficient.
Obi likened the government’s stance 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 collective condition.
He called on the presidency, the council of state, and respected statesmen to pursue reconciliation and inclusivity.
“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,” he added.
Meanwhile, Abia State Governor, Dr. Otti, reiterated that the judgment convicting Kanu is not the end of the road, assuring Abians that he has “activated and will continue to work on his freedom.”
Earlier in October, Otti mentioned that governors of the South-east are in discussions with the federal government over Kanu’s release.
In a statement personally signed and released on Saturday, Otti recalled, “Federal High Court sitting in Abuja found our son and a citizen of the state, Kanu, guilty of terrorism-related offences and subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment,” stating, “Without doubt, this development has broken a lot of our people and created an atmosphere of shock and sorrow in Abia and beyond.”
The governor also referenced past events, saying, “It would be recalled that in September 2017 when soldiers invaded the family home of Mazi Kanu, leading to destruction of property and loss of lives, I immediately and strongly condemned that avoidable act and appealed that dialogue should henceforth be explored as the best approach to resolving the IPOB issue.
“Eight days after that military onslaught at Afaraukwu Umuahia, specifically on September 25, 2017, I wrote a piece on my THISDAY column captioned ‘Operation Python Dance: Killing a Fly with a Sledge Hammer’. I condemned that invasion and the killings that followed once again, and offered extensively well-thought-out views and suggestions I felt could help de-escalate tension and unite the nation if the then federal government was willing to pay attention to those views.
“This is because I recognize that leadership requires emotional intelligence, restraint, and tolerance rather than force and violence.”
Otti expressed his strong belief that “the poor management of the IPOB issue at the incubation stage created the problem we have today, hence we cannot allow it to linger and create a bigger monstrous situation for us.”
He added, “While the trial that led to this conviction lasted, I personally engaged the authorities at the highest level, starting from December 22, 2023, on alternative resolution strategy. I must state that some agreements were made, which were dependent on quick dispensation of the matter at the federal high court. Unfortunately, the matter dragged until this time. I am confident that judgment having been delivered, the alternative resolution will now kick in. It is instructive that this strategy was explained to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu when I visited him while he was in the DSS custody earlier in the year.”
