- Safiu Kehinde
The 2023 Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has broken silence over the conviction of Nnamdi Kanu as he blamed the Federal Government over the court’s judgement sentencing the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) leader to life imprisonment.
Obi, who had kept mum since the court’s ruling on Thursday, pointed accuse finger at the Tinubu-led administration, stressing that the conviction of Kanu represented the failure of leadership and misunderstanding of the issue at stake.
Reacting in a statement issued on his official X handle on Saturday, the former Anambra State Governor held that Kanu should have never been arrested.
He warned that the conviction and sentencing of the IPOB leader would further aggravate an already tensed situation.
“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.” Obi said.
He further accused the Federal Government of failing to explore available options of constructive engagement and dialogue with the IPO leader, adding that the government’s approach had only deepened mistrust and created an avoidable distraction.
“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.” He said.
Obi held that 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.
He said that the government should have emulated other nations around the world by resorting to political solutions, negotiated settlements, and even amnesty when legal processes alone cannot serve the broader interest of peace and stability.
The ex-Anambra governor called for a more subtle approach to the case as he charged the government to choose reconciliation and dialogue over retaliation and division.
“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.” He added.