Dr Chike Obidigbo Nnamdi Kanu appeal urges Tinubu to adopt a political solution, warning that continued detention may destabilise South East Nigeria
Dr Chike Obidigbo Nnamdi Kanu appeal has sparked fresh debate over the IPOB leader’s continued detention, with the elder statesman warning that failure to act may plunge the South East into unrest.
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Obidigbo, President of the Osisioma Foundation, in a statement released in Abuja, urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently adopt a political solution to Nnamdi Kanu’s case.
He warned that continued incarceration without engagement risks triggering broader national instability.
The respected industrialist criticised what he termed the “dangerous silence” of Nigeria’s political class, particularly from South East leaders, amid growing concerns over Kanu’s deteriorating health condition.
He expressed disbelief that a man demanding restructuring through referendum — a recognised democratic process — remains confined while known armed groups are being granted amnesty and dialogue.
“We have seen armed bandits welcomed with red carpets,” he said.
“Yet Nnamdi Kanu, whose demands align with democratic ideals, is kept in solitary confinement. It beggars belief.”
The Dr Chike Obidigbo Nnamdi Kanu appeal also drew a pointed comparison between Kanu and Nelson Mandela, noting that both faced imprisonment for advocating justice for their people.
Obidigbo argued that marginalising calls for equity only deepens national divisions.
He called out the media and civil society for failing to give adequate attention to Kanu’s plight, and urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to grant Kanu immediate access to specialist medical care.
According to Obidigbo, the consequences of inaction could mirror the tensions of Nigeria’s civil war era.
“This growing intolerance of dissent is dangerous. It has scared even Igbo politicians into silence,” he added.
The elder statesman directly appealed to President Tinubu to apply the same political maturity used to resolve the Rivers State crisis to Kanu’s case. Failure to do so, he warned, could be interpreted as a deliberate ploy to destabilise the South East and disenfranchise its people.
“Unless that is done, the general impression that the President wants to plunge South East into confusion to avoid election in the region may become plausible,” he cautioned.
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The Dr Chike Obidigbo Nnamdi Kanu appeal adds to growing calls for a more inclusive and just approach to national dialogue — one that listens to dissent rather than punishes it.
