The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has reacted to the conviction and life imprisonment sentencing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a post shared on his X handle on Saturday, Obi said the judgment comes at a time when Nigerians are battling severe economic hardship, worsening insecurity, and the consequences of poor governance. He warned that rather than easing tensions, the development “may well only aggravate it.”

Obi described Kanu’s arrest, detention, and conviction as “a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake.”

His statement, “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,” Obi concluded.

“They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide, and I’m really angry about it” — says Trump  in Friday radio broadcast

US President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Nigeria on Friday, calling the country “a disgrace” as he renewed accusations that the government is failing to protect Christians from extremist violence.

Speaking on a conservative radio programme, Trump repeated his threat to take military action against Islamist militants in Nigeria if the government does not “do more” to stop attacks on Christian communities.

“Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace,” Trump said. “They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide, and I’m really angry about it. And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidies to Nigeria. We’re going to end up stopping.”

Nigeria has a long history of ethnoreligious conflict in which both Christians and Muslims have suffered mass casualties. However, the narrative that Christians are being uniquely targeted has gained significant traction in right-wing circles in the US.

Read Also: US Defence Secretary meets Ribadu, vows aggresive action to end Christian persecution

Hegseth reinforces administration’s position

Trump’s comments came a day after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon. The meeting was aimed at reinforcing the Trump administration’s claim that Christians in Nigeria are facing “horrific violence.”

“Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists,” Hegseth said in a post on X on Friday, using the acronym “DOW” — the administration’s preferred term for the Department of Defence (“Department of War”).

A Defence Department statement said Hegseth and Ribadu discussed “tangible progress” on curbing violence against Christians and combating jihadist groups operating in West Africa.

Nigeria rejects persecution claims
President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim whose wife is a Christian pastor, has repeatedly pushed back against allegations of state-enabled religious persecution. He insists his government is committed to protecting all Nigerians regardless of faith.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said.

Nevertheless, Trump and his allies continue to promote the narrative. Earlier this week, rapper Nicki Minaj appeared at the United Nations alongside US Ambassador Mike Waltz to echo the disputed claims.

Separately, Representative Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, met Ribadu in Washington on Wednesday as part of the ongoing high-level engagements between US officials and Nigeria’s security leadership.

• Calls for calm and ‘constructive dialogue’

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odimegwu Ojukwu, has lamented the life imprisonment handed down on Thursday to the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The minister described the court decision as “sad news,” adding: “This is not the outcome we anticipated.”

She, however, called on the people of the Southeast and Nigerians at large to show “restraint” and make conscious effort not inflame emotions, reiterating that “the most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue.”

In a statement she personally signed on Friday, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu called on Igbo leaders both at home and abroad to use this period to galvanise a united front for engagement with the authorities in interest of peace and justice for the region.

Part of the statement reads: “I have just returned from Zanzibar, Tanzania, where I have been for the past five days on NTAC monitoring exercise to the sad news of the conviction and sentencing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism charges. This is not the outcome we anticipated, nor prayed for, but a reality that is now upon us.

“There comes a time in the history of a people when there is need for calm.

“I therefore advise Ndigbo, and Nigerians as a whole, that such a period is now! There is utmost need to exercise restraint in response to this situation.

“All actions which could be deemed incendiary, and which might escalate the situation at home or in the diaspora should be curtailed. A word is enough for the wise.

“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 the government.

“Beating the drums of fury and sabre rattling will only generate diminishing returns, and in the worst case scenario, yet another wasteland.

“The most effective path toward resolution of this crisis is dialogue. The quest for mutual coexistence of Ndigbo in Nigeria with justice, equity and dignity is a commitment which requires our collective resolve, and maintaining peace and order is essential to ensuring the security of all citizens, regardless of tribe or creed.

“I would like to reassure Ndigbo, Nigerians and our foreign partners that there are still prospects of resolving this impasse in a manner that reduces national anxiety and societal trauma. I oblige everyone to remain calm and patient. Over the years I have continued to engage on these issues with several stakeholders.

“Now is the time for us all in Ala Igbo to put all hands on deck, and to have a joint engagement , sincerely, involving all the South Eastern States, to seek a political resolution to this matter.”