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The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and other freedom fighters in similar conditions.
Obi said there was no reason for the continuous detention of the IPOB leader, since the court have granted him freedom.
The former Anambra State governor made this call when he spoke to journalists on Saturday, in Onitsha, Anambra State commercial nerve centre, while also calling on leaders to double their efforts in tackling insecurity, saying that if nothing was done, the country may slide into a failed nation.
Obi, said, “I don’t see any reason for his (Nnamdi Kanu) continuous 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 opportunity to plead with the Federal Government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed with.
“We are in a democracy and we should not be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law.”
He lamented the increasing insecurity in the country, saying that Nigeria was gradually becoming a failed state if nothing was done urgently to salvage the situation.
He said, “The primary work of government is the security of lives and property. It is the foundation on which people can live in any nation because no one can stay in an insecure place.
“It is worrisome what is happening in Nigeria with the news of killings, abductions and other vices have made Nigeria one of the most insecure places on the earth. In fact, it is leading to a failed nation.
Obi expressed displeasure on the ongoing protests in Kenya, saying that destruction of government’s assets and property bring setbacks to any country.
“I am against riots or destruction of government assets and property, because it is still scarce resources that we are going to use to repair them, but I’m not against peaceful protests.
“Peaceful protest is allowed, but it must be for a reason and not personal interest of some people to satisfy a particular interest. It must be properly articulated and properly directed.
“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, EndSARS protesters, or even because of freedom of speech, be it journalists, let them all be released immediately.
“We are in a democratic country and people have right under the constitution to express themselves freely. They also have right to peacefully protest and we must listen to them. We must listen to those who say they are not happy, that is why it is a democratic nation. We should stop acting dictatorial and behave as if this is not a democratic country,” he added.
