Peter Obi says there is no reason to keep Nnamdi Kanu in detention and has pledged to free the IPOB leader if elected Nigeria’s president in 2027.
The Nigerian Democratic Congress presidential candidate made the declaration during a town hall session with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., in remarks that circulated widely on social media by Friday, June 13.
Peter Obi Calls Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention Unjustifiable
Obi declared there is “no reason whatsoever” for the continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra. He did not mince words. “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,” he told the gathering.
A video of the interaction, which circulated widely on social media, was shared by members of the Obidient Movement, who said the event took place a few days ago. The Presidency had not responded to the remarks as of press time Saturday morning.
According to the former Anambra State governor, detaining an individual for expressing opinions or criticizing public figures undermines democratic principles and freedom of expression. He drew on his own experience to press the point. “I am a politician; people have been calling me names; it’s not an offense,” he told reporters at the session.
Kanu Serving Life Sentence After November 2025 Conviction
Kanu was, on Thursday, November 20, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court presided over by Justice James Omotosho. The IPOB leader was convicted on multiple terrorism-related charges, receiving a life sentence for counts one, four, five, and six of a seven-count charge.
The court also handed Kanu separate sentences of 20 years and five years for counts three and seven, respectively. The court found him guilty of multiple counts bordering on incitement, membership of a proscribed organization, and alleged involvement in attacks linked to separatist activities in the South-East. Not a small charge sheet.
Kanu has since been moved from the detention facility of the Department of State Services in Abuja to the Sokoto Correctional Centre. Kanu has since rejected the judgment and filed an appeal, challenging both his conviction and sentence. His legal team maintains the trial was unfair and has urged the appellate court to overturn the ruling.
Obi Pledges Dialogue With Agitators if He Wins the Presidency
The Washington remarks carry a specific electoral weight. Obi is the NDC’s flagbearer for the 2027 general election, and the Kanu file is a live wire in South-East politics. “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; it doesn’t make sense,” Obi stated in a written response later circulated by his campaign office. “Even all agitators; if I were in government today, I would discuss with them and engage with them; I would consult them. Because I believe if they have a reason for whatever they want to do, it’s only by engaging them we will learn and see how we can resolve this,” he added.
Obi acknowledged that he currently holds no government office and therefore lacks the authority to implement such measures. “But I am not in position to do anything today,” he confirmed. Fourteen days remain before the National Assembly resumes from its mid-year recess, a period during which the Tinubu administration is unlikely to respond publicly to the pressure.
What Nnamdi Kanu’s Case Means for the 2027 Race
The timing of Obi’s comments is not accidental. South-East voter sentiment has grown harder to read since Kanu’s conviction in November 2025, and every major party positioning itself for 2027 is watching the optics of the case. Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said his administration if elected president would engage separatist agitators and other groups with grievances through dialogue, not force.
Obi criticized the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, insisting there is no justification for keeping him in custody. His NDC has not yet released a formal policy document on the Southeast security situation. The party’s national secretariat on Akin Olugbade Street, Lagos Island, did not pick up calls placed by NaijaDesk on Saturday morning. Peter Obi’s call for Nnamdi Kanu’s release lands at a delicate moment, with Kanu’s appeal pending before the Court of Appeal in Abuja and a federal government that has shown no sign of reversing course.
