Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has described the arrest, prolonged detention, and eventual conviction of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as “unfortunate” and indicative of a failure of leadership.
Obi made the remarks in a statement titled “Kanu’s Conviction: Obi Calls for Dialogue, Healing Over Hostility”, issued on Saturday by his Media Aide, Ibrahim Umar.
According to the former Anambra State governor, the development should cause Nigerians to “pause and reflect,” especially at a time the nation is battling severe economic hardship, rising insecurity, and the cumulative effects of poor governance.
Umar quoted Obi as saying that Kanu’s arrest and conviction represented “a misreading of the real issues at stake,” stressing that the concerns raised by the IPOB leader were not impossible to address.
He argued that functional societies resolve legitimate grievances through dialogue, reforms, and inclusive governance, not coercion. “Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted. In this case, reason was not fully explored, if at all,” Obi said.
While acknowledging that many may argue that “the law has taken its course,” Obi insisted that leadership often requires more than strict application of legal processes. He cited international examples where political solutions, negotiated settlements, and amnesty were adopted to prevent legal outcomes from worsening national tensions.
He likened the government’s approach to “a man trapped in a hole who continues digging instead of seeking a way out,” warning that such actions deepen mistrust and further destabilise the country.
Calling for calm, Obi appealed to the Presidency, the Council of State, and respected national leaders to work toward sustainable peace. He stressed the need for healing over hostility, reconciliation over retaliation, and dialogue over division.
Obi expressed optimism that peace and unity were achievable if Nigeria embraced justice, fairness, and compassion.
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