Labour Party’s strong man, Peter Obi, has finally made a categorical statement about the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Some had accused the party’s presidential candidate in last year’s election of evading issues related to IPOB.
They saw this as a tacit support for its activities, to retain the huge support he has in the South-East.
But, speaking to journalists in his Onitsha, Anambra State home, Obi asked the Federal Government to release Kanu without further delay.
According to him, the IPOB leader is entitled to freedom based on a court ruling that granted him bail.
Obi said: “My take on Nnamdi Kanu is that I don’t see any reason for his continued detention, especially as the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the court. The rule of law is an intricate asset that we must cherish and live with. I use this same opportunity to plead with the federal government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed. We are in a democracy, and we should not be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law.
“I want to use this opportunity to say that all those who are being held because of one protest or the other should be released. Whether it is freedom fighters, End Sars protesters, or even because of freedom of speech, be it journalists, let them all be released immediately.
“We are a democratic country, and people have rights under the constitution to express themselves freely. They also have the right to peaceful protest, and we must listen to them. We must listen to those who say they are not happy, that is why it is a democracy. We should stop acting dictatorial and behave as if this is not a democratic country.”
