The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has renewed his call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, insisting that the continued incarceration of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is unjustified.
According to DAILY TRUST, Obi made the remarks during an interactive session with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., where he reiterated his longstanding position on Kanu’s detention and stressed the need for dialogue in addressing separatist agitations and other national grievances.
Kanu is currently serving a life sentence following his conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism-related charges in November 2025. The court found him guilty on several counts, including incitement, membership of a proscribed organisation and involvement in separatist activities in the South-East.
Despite the conviction, Obi maintained that there was no valid reason to keep Kanu in prison.
“I said it repeatedly that there’s no reason for keeping Nnamdi Kanu. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason whatsoever,” Obi stated.
The former governor argued that expressing controversial views or criticising public officials should not be criminalised, noting that public figures are often subjected to criticism without seeking legal action against their critics.
“You cannot arrest somebody because he was speaking on the radio or calling people’s names. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Drawing from his experience in politics, Obi noted that criticism and name-calling are common realities for political leaders.
“I’m a politician. People call me all sorts of names, and I don’t think calling me names has anything to do with it. It’s not an offence,” he added.
Obi also outlined his preferred approach to addressing separatist movements and other forms of agitation across the country, emphasizing dialogue and engagement over force.
According to him, governments must seek to understand the concerns driving agitations and work with stakeholders to find lasting solutions.
“Even all agitators, if I’m in government today, I will discuss with them. I will engage with them. I will consult with them because I believe that they have a reason for whatever they want to do. It’s only by engaging them that we’ll learn and see how we can solve it,” he said.
Kanu has since appealed his conviction and life sentence, with his legal team maintaining that the trial process was unfair. The case continues to generate intense public and political debate across Nigeria.
Obi’s latest remarks add to ongoing discussions about national unity, justice and the best approaches to resolving long-standing political and security challenges in the country.
