Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has expressed support for activist Omoyele Sowore’s planned protest calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Obi described Kanu’s arrest as unnecessary and emphasized that dialogue—not detention—remains the only sustainable path to resolving separatist agitations.
Obi made the statement during a visit to LEA Primary School in Kapwa, Abuja, where he appeared alongside Dr. Moses Paul, the African Democratic Congress chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Reaffirming his long-held position on the matter, Obi told journalists, “I’ve always been consistent on Nnamdi Kanu’s situation. There was no need for his arrest in the first place. I’ve always said that I would consult, negotiate, and engage with anyone who is agitating. That has been my stance, and it hasn’t changed.”
He praised Sowore and others advocating for Kanu’s release, stating that peaceful dialogue remains crucial in addressing such national issues.
“I commend those who are speaking out. This is something I’ve been advocating since before 2020. Now that the matter is in court, legal procedures must be respected—not only in Kanu’s case but for all agitators across the country,” Obi added.
“There’s nothing wrong with people demanding dialogue. Whatever steps are taken, they must be within the framework of the law. So, I thank the organisers and everyone involved in this effort.”
Obi’s comments come just days before Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, is set to lead a nationwide protest on October 20 in Abuja under the banner #FreeNnamdiKanuNow.
Sowore described the protest as a peaceful and lawful call for Kanu’s release, and he has invited South-East governors, lawmakers, and key community figures—including Obi—to join in solidarity.
In recent weeks, Sowore has met with several political leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, who has reportedly agreed to raise the issue with President Bola Tinubu.
Other notable figures, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, and Senator Shehu Sani, have also thrown their weight behind the call, arguing that Kanu’s continued detention violates due process.
Nnamdi Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his controversial re-arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021.
Despite an October 2022 Court of Appeal ruling that discharged and acquitted him, the Federal Government has not complied with the verdict. He still faces charges of terrorism and treasonable felony at the Federal High Court in Abuja, charges he has consistently denied.
Obi’s latest remarks place him among a growing number of national voices calling on the Tinubu administration to resolve the Kanu case through dialogue and legal due process—a move many believe could help ease ethnic tensions and foster national unity.
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