Peter Obi has described Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s life imprisonment as a leadership failure that risks increasing national tension, calling for dialogue and reconciliation.
Nigeria’s opposition leader, Peter Obi, has reacted to the life imprisonment sentence handed to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, calling the development a “failure of leadership” that risks aggravating national tension, according to a report from TRIBUNE ONLINE.
Obi posted on his verified X handle on Saturday, noting that the sentencing comes at a time when Nigeria faces severe economic hardship, insecurity, and poor governance.
Obi warned that the decision may “well only aggravate it,” rather than reduce existing tensions. He emphasized that Kanu should never have been arrested, arguing that “dialogue, constructive engagement, and inclusive governance offer the path to lasting peace. Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted.”
He added that the government failed to explore reasonable solutions to the grievances raised by Kanu, which could have been addressed with “wisdom, empathy, and a willingness to listen.” Obi said the legal process alone is insufficient, noting that “leadership often demands more than a strict, mechanical application of the law,” citing international examples of political settlements and amnesty.
Obi called on the Presidency, the Council of State, and statesmen committed to national cohesion to intervene for a lasting solution, stressing that true progress requires choosing “healing over hostility, reconciliation over retaliation, and dialogue over division.” He concluded with a call for optimism, hoping for peace and reconciliation despite the court’s decision.