By Muhammad Mamman
Elder statesman and President of the Osisioma Foundation, Dr Chike Obidigbo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to adopt a political solution to the detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, warning that failure to act could destabilise the South East and fuel wider national tensions.
In a statement personally signed by him, Obidigbo criticised the silence of Nigeria’s political class over Kanu’s deteriorating health, saying the neglect risked provoking resentment in the region and triggering unrest reminiscent of the civil war years.
He compared Kanu to South Africa’s late anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, arguing that while armed groups in Nigeria have been granted amnesty, Kanu remains in solitary confinement for demanding restructuring through a referendum — “the highest expression of democratic choice.”
Obidigbo cautioned that continued silence on Kanu’s plight may push Nigeria towards chaos. He also appealed to the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow the IPOB leader access to specialist medical care.
Calling on Tinubu directly, the elder statesman said: “Unless the President applies a political solution, the impression may grow that he seeks to plunge the South East into confusion to avoid elections in the region.”
