Peter Obi Warns Kanu’s Conviction Could Escalate Tension, Urges Political Solution
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has warned that the conviction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu could heighten tension across the country, cautioning that the government’s approach risks worsening Nigeria’s fragile climate of economic hardship and insecurity. In a statement made public at noon-time on Saturday, Obi said the development “should compel every well-meaning Nigerian to pause and reflect,” noting that it comes at a moment when citizens are already battling severe pressures. Obi stressed that Kanu’s arrest, detention, and eventual conviction represented “a failure of leadership,” arguing that the issues at stake required dialogue, not force. “I have always maintained that Mazi Kanu should never have been arrested,” he stated. “His arrest, detention, and now conviction represent a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake.” He insisted that the grievances Kanu raised were neither new nor impossible to resolve. “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,” Obi said, adding that functional societies respond to such matters “with dialogue and reforms aimed at strengthening unity.” Obi criticized what he described as the government’s counterproductive strategy, suggesting that its actions had “deepened mistrust” at a time when the country could least afford additional unrest. “While some may insist that ‘the law has taken its course’, leadership often demands more than a strict, mechanical application of the law,” he noted. He argued that nations across the world routinely adopt political solutions when legal processes alone are insufficient to safeguard peace and stability. As a metaphor, Obi said the handling of Kanu’s case resembled “a man trapped in a hole who, instead of looking for a way out, keeps digging deeper.” According to him, this approach “worsens not only the government’s predicament but also the nation’s collective condition.” Calling for urgent intervention from the Presidency, the Council of State, and “credible statesmen who love this country,” Obi urged a return to dialogue, reconciliation, and inclusive governance. “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,” he said. The statement adds to growing public debate over whether the government’s strategy is easing tensions or further straining Nigeria’s delicate political landscape, particularly in the South-East, where Kanu’s case continues to evoke strong emotions.
| 2025-11-22 19:08:43