Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, said the conviction of the leader of Indigenous People’s of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of terrorism, will heighten national tension.

Obi, in a statement by Ibrahim Umar, spokesman of Obi Media, noted that the conviction happened at a time when the country is grappling with severe economic hardship, escalating insecurity, and the consequences of prolonged poor governance. According to him, the arrest, detention, and conviction represent failure of leadership and a misreading of the real issues at stake.

“The concerns Kanu raised were neither unheard of nor insoluble, and required wisdom, empathy, and genuine engagement,” he said, and maintained his position that Kanu should not have been arrested in the first place. The former Anambra State governor, stressed that in functional societies, legitimate grievances are addressed through dialogue, reforms, and inclusive governance tools he believes were not sufficiently explored by the government.

“Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted. In this case, reason was not fully explored, if at all,” he said. Obi acknowledged that some might argue that “the law has taken its course,” but stated that leadership often demands more than the rigid application of legal processes.

He cited global examples, where nations adopt political solutions, negotiated settlements, and even amnesty when legal outcomes alone threaten national stability. Nigeria, he said, should not be an exception.

Obi likened the government’s handling of the matter to, “a man trapped in a hole, who continues digging instead of seeking a way out,” warning that such an approach only deepens mistrust and compounds the country’s already difficult condition.

He called on the presidency, the Council of State, and respected statesmen to rise to the occasion and work towards sustainable peace, and emphasised the need for healing over hostility, reconciliation over retaliation, and dialogue over division.