Elder statesman and President of the Osisioma Foundation, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently adopt a political solution to the case of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
He warned that failure to act could destabilise the South East and ignite wider national unrest.
In a statement, Obidigbo raised alarm over Kanu’s deteriorating health and criticised the silence of Nigeria’s political elite, particularly South East politicians. In his words, “The troubling health condition of the IPOB leader should be a source of great worry to those in authority in Nigeria.”
The elder statesman compared Kanu’s ordeal to that of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, insisting that Kanu’s prosecution was unjust. “Mandela was jailed for seeking freedom for his people, while Kanu is being punished for demanding equity and justice in Nigeria,” he declared.
Obidigbo faulted the government’s handling of insurgents and bandits, contrasting it with Kanu’s treatment. “We have seen people that took up arms in insurrection against Nigeria being offered amnesty. We have just witnessed armed bandits received on a red carpet, yet Nnamdi Kanu is kept in solitary confinement for calling for restructuring through referendum—the highest expression of democratic choice,” he added.
He further accused South East leaders of cowardice, noting: “I am compelled to believe that it is this intolerance of dissent that has frightened Igbo politicians, especially elected representatives, away from talking about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the injustice against his cause.”
Calling for urgent medical attention, Obidigbo appealed to the Department of State Services to grant Kanu access to specialist care. He also chided the media, saying they had failed to give the issue the prominence it deserved, and urged journalists and civic leaders to speak up.
Addressing President Tinubu directly, the elder statesman urged him to extend to Kanu the same political solution used in resolving the Rivers State crisis.
“Unless that is done, the general impression that the President wants to plunge the South East into confusion to avoid election in the region may become plausible,” he said.