The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election and standard bearer of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has reiterated his call for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, asserting that there is no justification for the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Obi made these remarks during an interactive session with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., United States, a video of which has been widely circulated on social media.

The former Anambra State governor maintained that public expressions of grievance should not be treated as state offenses. He argued that the prolonged detention of the IPOB leader lacks any logical or political basis.

“I said it repeatedly that there’s no reason for keeping Nnamdi Kanu. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason, no reason whatsoever. You cannot arrest somebody because he was speaking on the radio or calling people’s names. It doesn’t make sense.” — Peter Obi

Drawing a parallel to his own experiences in public life, Obi noted that political figures are routinely subjected to heavy criticism and name-calling, emphasizing that such actions do not constitute criminal infractions.

The politician insisted that national agitations and regional discontent cannot be solved by state force or legal technicalities alone. He advocated for a structured political solution, stating that the federal government must engage directly with aggrieved groups to understand and resolve the underlying issues driving their actions.

Obi’s comments follow his previous criticisms of the judicial outcomes involving the IPOB leader, where he consistently warned that relying on coercive state measures rather than genuine political dialogue risks heightening regional tensions and undermining long-term national cohesion.