Obi Promises to Release Nnamdi Kanu if Elected, Says ‘He Has Done Nothing Wrong’

Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi

Obi Promises to Release Nnamdi Kanu if Elected, Says ‘He Has Done Nothing Wrong’

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has declared that he would release Nnamdi Kanu and engage separatist agitators in dialogue if elected president of Nigeria. Speaking during an interaction with Nigerians in Washington, the former Anambra State governor argued that Kanu should not be detained over comments he allegedly made on Radio Biafra, insisting that criticism of political leaders should not be criminalised.

“There’s no reason for keeping Nnamdi Kanu. I will free Nnamdi Kanu as President. He has done nothing wrong; the government has no reason to arrest him because he was speaking and calling people names on radio,” Obi said. The former Labour Party presidential candidate maintained that public officials are often subjected to criticism and insults, which, according to him, should not constitute an offence. “Anybody can tell you anything. I’m a politician and people call me all sorts of names and I don’t think calling me names is an offence,” he added. Obi also pledged to adopt dialogue as a strategy for addressing separatist agitations and other grievances across the country. “If I am in government today, I will discuss with all agitators because I believe that they have a reason for whatever they want to do and it’s only by engaging them that we would learn,” he said.

Obi reiterated his commitment to pursuing a political solution to the case involving the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, stating that dialogue remains the most effective path to resolving longstanding grievances and tensions. According to him, governments achieve more lasting results when they address the root causes of agitations through dialogue, justice, and inclusive governance rather than relying solely on coercive measures. The former governor maintained that national unity is better strengthened through reconciliation and mutual understanding, stressing that democratic societies should create avenues for citizens to express grievances while preserving law, order, and national stability.

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This is not the first time Obi has spoken on the IPOB leader’s detention. In November 2025, following Kanu’s conviction and life imprisonment sentencing by a Federal High Court in Abuja, Obi described the development as a “failure of leadership” that risked aggravating national tension. At the time, Obi posted on his verified X handle: “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.” He further argued that the government’s approach had only deepened mistrust, stating: “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.” In July 2025, Obi had told Channels Television’s Sunday Politics that the continuous detention of Nnamdi Kanu “does not make sense” . Asked whether he would advocate for a political solution, Obi responded: “For every one of them, I mean, why is he still being held? It does not make sense to me.”

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services since his controversial rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021. In November 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on seven terrorism-related charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Kanu has since filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging both his conviction and sentence. According to his legal consultant, Alloy Ejimakor, the appeal process is already “live,” with multiple stages involved. Kanu has provided 22 grounds for his appeal, and the Court of Appeal has not yet fixed a date for hearing the matter. In a significant development, IPOB claimed in June 2026 that the Federal Government’s cross-appeal against Kanu’s sentencing amounts to an admission that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to impose life sentences. IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful stated that the government’s filing declared that “the trial court acted without jurisdiction when it imposed life imprisonment on Counts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.” IPOB argued that if the court lacked jurisdiction at the sentencing phase, “the entire sentencing exercise is a nullity ab initio.”

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International pressure continues to mount on the Nigerian government over Kanu’s conviction. A group of international legal experts under the banner of Pan African Forum Ltd & Associates, based in London, has issued a legal notice warning Nigeria that it would commence legal action in a UK Court if the government does not immediately and unconditionally release Kanu. The group bases its demand on Opinion No. 25/2022 issued on July 20, 2022, by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found that Kanu’s arrest and extraordinary rendition were unlawful and ruled that his continued detention is arbitrary. The Nigerian government has consistently maintained that Kanu is facing serious terrorism and security-related charges and that due judicial process must be allowed to run its course.

Meanwhile, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to grant amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu on or before June 12, 2026, as part of efforts to promote national reconciliation and strengthen unity across the country. The group emphasized that Kanu’s release, preferably timed to coincide with Nigeria’s Democracy Day, would signal a bold commitment to justice, inclusion, and healing decades-old grievances in the Southeast. Ohanaeze also dismissed fears that Kanu’s release could destabilize the country, arguing that such a move would demonstrate leadership anchored on reconciliation.

Obi’s latest comments come amid his political realignment ahead of the 2027 presidential election. After the collapse of an earlier opposition coalition, Obi secured the presidential ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) at a special convention in Abuja in May 2026. He was unanimously endorsed by delegates following a motion moved by Senator Victor Umeh and seconded by former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege. Shortly after accepting the nomination, Obi announced former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate. In his acceptance speech, Obi pledged a technology-driven and intelligence-led security framework, promising to address both immediate threats and root causes such as poverty and unemployment. He recently dismissed claims that he was avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, stating: “There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him.”

As the 2027 election approaches, Obi’s campaign continues to gain momentum, particularly among young Nigerians and diaspora communities. His message of inclusive governance, dialogue over coercion, and political solutions to national crises resonates with voters frustrated by the status quo. His pledge to release Nnamdi Kanu and engage all agitators in dialogue represents a sharp departure from the current administration’s security approach. Whether this stance will translate into electoral success remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly positioned Obi as a candidate willing to take bold, unconventional positions on Nigeria’s most contentious issues. The Nigerian government has consistently maintained that Kanu is facing serious terrorism and security-related charges and that due judicial process must be allowed to run its course. However, with international pressure mounting, an active appeal process, and major political figures like Obi calling for Kanu’s release, the case continues to be a defining issue in Nigeria’s political landscape.