Nigeria’s leading opposition leader, Peter Obi, has reacted to the conviction and sentencing to life imprisonment of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, calling the development a “failure of leadership” that risks aggravating national tension.

In a post on his verified X handle on Saturday, Obi noted that the sentencing comes at a difficult time when Nigeria is grappling with severe economic hardship, insecurity, and the consequences of poor governance.

He warned that the unfortunate development may “well only aggravate it,” rather than reducing the existing national tension.

Full statement below;

“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. Coercion becomes necessary only when reason has been exhausted.

“In this case, I submit that the reason was not only not exhausted, but was probably not explored at all, or not fully explored. 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. In any functional society, such grievances are met with dialogue and reforms aimed at strengthening unity.

“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.

“While some may insist that the law has taken its course, leadership often demands more than a strict, mechanical application of the law. Nations around the world resort to political solutions, negotiated settlements, and even amnesty when legal processes alone cannot serve the broader interest of peace and stability. Nigeria is not an exception.

“The handling of Kanu’s case mirrors the government as a man trapped in a hole but who, instead of looking for a way out, keeps digging deeper. It worsens not only the government’s predicament but also the nation’s collective condition.

“If we truly desire a new Nigeria – a united, peaceful, and progressive one, our leaders must choose healing over hostility, reconciliation over retaliation, and dialogue over division. Only by addressing grievances with justice, fairness, and compassion can we move towards a future where every Nigerian feels heard, valued, and safe.

“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.

“I am also saying, thereby, that the Presidency, the Council of State and credible statesmen who love this country and who are interested in cohesion and inclusivity, should rise to the occasion, for a lasting solution.” (The Nation)