By Amofokhai Williams
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has described the conviction of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as a development that risks deepening national tensions at a time Nigerians are contending with severe economic and security pressures.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Saturday, Obi said the judgment should make the government and citizens “pause and reflect” on the country’s growing fragility.
According to him, Kanu’s arrest, prolonged detention and eventual conviction represent a failure of leadership and a misreading of the grievances that fuel separatist sentiments in the South-East.
Obi argued that the concerns Kanu championed were neither new nor impossible to resolve, insisting that they required “wisdom, empathy and a willingness to listen,” rather than a punitive approach.
“For years, I have consistently argued that dialogue, constructive engagement and inclusive governance offer the path to lasting peace,” he wrote.
“Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted. In this case, reason was not exhausted—perhaps not even explored.”
He warned that the government’s handling of the matter has widened mistrust and created a needless distraction for a country already weighed down by inflation, unemployment and widespread insecurity.
While acknowledging that some Nigerians may view the verdict as the law taking its natural course, Obi stressed that leadership often demands solutions that go beyond technical legality.
He cited global examples where nations adopted political settlements, negotiated resolutions or amnesty to prevent legal outcomes from destabilising their societies.
Nigeria, he said, should not be an exception, particularly when unity and stability are at stake.
“The handling of Kanu’s case mirrors a man trapped in a hole who keeps digging instead of finding a way out,” he noted, adding that the approach has worsened both the government’s predicament and the nation’s collective condition.
Obi urged President Bola Tinubu, the Council of State, and respected elder statesmen to intervene urgently and adopt measures that promote reconciliation and national cohesion.
He maintained that any pursuit of peace must be anchored on justice, fairness and compassion to make every Nigerian feel “heard, valued and safe”.
While acknowledging differing emotions around the verdict, Obi appealed for optimism, expressing confidence that a path toward peace and reconciliation is still achievable if leaders choose healing over hostility.
“We must decide whether we want a new Nigeria—one that is united, peaceful and progressive,” he said.
“That future is only possible through dialogue, reconciliation and inclusive governance.”
