Soludo’s Aide Criticizes Peter Obi Over Calls for Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

An aide to the Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has strongly criticized Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, following his recent remarks concerning the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Ejimofor Opara, the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, described Obi’s renewed push for Kanu’s release as a significant insult to both the Nigerian legal system and international judicial institutions.

Obi had reiterated his stance during a recent engagement with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., arguing that there was no valid justification for Kanu’s continued imprisonment.

In a sharp reaction issued on Sunday, Opara characterized Obi’s statements as careless and self-serving, noting that they undermine the very institution that had previously protected Obi’s own political mandates in 2006 and 2007.

Opara further argued that Obi’s comments disregarded international judicial outcomes, specifically referencing the recent trial in Finland where Simon Ekpa, a prominent associate of Kanu, was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison for terrorism-related offenses.

According to the state official, the federal judiciary had previously allowed a live broadcast of Kanu’s conviction and sentencing to maintain absolute transparency and prevent misleading public narratives.

Opara maintained that political figures should avoid pandering to individuals convicted of separatist violence for political gain, demanding an apology from Obi to the courts.

Kanu remains in custody following his November 2025 conviction by a Federal High Court in Abuja on multiple terrorism-related charges, including incitement and involvement in separatist attacks across the South-East region. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, a judgment his legal team has since appealed.