Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi have called for calm and dialogue following the life imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a post on X on Friday, Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu said she returned from Zanzibar, Tanzania, to learn of the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
She said the development called for restraint, noting that Nigerians, especially those from the South-east, should avoid actions that could worsen tension.
“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is a need for calm,” she wrote.
“I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now. There is utmost need to exercise.”
The minister urged leaders in the region to pursue dialogue toward a political solution for Kanu’s release.
“This situation requires careful reflection and constructive dialogue involving all Igbo stakeholders, governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, clergy, traditional rulers, politicians and business people to engage with government authorities collectively,” she said.
“The most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also urged Nigerians at home and abroad to refrain from actions that could escalate tension.
She added that prospects still existed for resolving the matter.
“Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck, and to have a joint engagement, involving all the South-eastern states, to seek a political resolution to this matter,” she said.
Mr Obi, in a post on X on Saturday, said the conviction had come at a time of economic hardship and insecurity.
He stated that Kanu’s arrest, detention and conviction reflected a failure of leadership.
Obi said Kanu’s arrest, detention and conviction reflected a failure of leadership.
“I have always maintained that Mazi Kanu should never have been arrested. For years, I have consistently argued that dialogue, constructive engagement, and inclusive governance offer the path to lasting peace,” he wrote.
He said concerns raised by Kanu were not impossible to address and added that many societies adopt political solutions when legal processes cannot resolve national issues.
“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,” he said.
Obi urged leaders to prioritise reconciliation and dialogue, noting that a political solution remained possible.
“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 added.
QEDNG reported that Kanu was on Thursday convicted on seven counts filed by the Nigerian government.
Justice James Omotosho sentenced him to life imprisonment for terrorism and ordered restrictions on his access to communication devices.
Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s former special counsel, said on Friday that the IPOB leader had been moved from the State Security Service facility to a prison in Sokoto State.
