…Urges calm as Abia governor activates diplomatic resolution plan
By Foster Obi
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has assured residents that the life sentence handed to indigenous rights agitator Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by a Federal High Court in Abuja does not mark the end of efforts to secure his freedom, insisting that a diplomatic resolution already negotiated with the Federal Government is “now set to kick in.”
Kanu, an indigene of Abia, was on Thursday, November 20, 2025, convicted on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment, a ruling that has triggered widespread shock, grief, and concern across the state and the wider Southeast.
Governor Otti, in a strongly worded statement on Friday, acknowledged the emotional weight of the judgment on Ndi Abia, but emphasised that a concrete alternative strategy had long been on the table and would now intensify following the court’s decision.
‘I activated the process since 2023’
According to the governor, discreet high-level engagements with the Federal Government began as far back as December 22, 2023, with “clear agreements” reached on a non-judicial, diplomatic pathway to resolving the matter once the trial was concluded.
“I am happy to inform you that I have activated and will continue to work on the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured,” Otti said, adding that Kanu was fully briefed about the plan during his visit to the IPOB leader in DSS custody earlier in the year.
He noted that although the federal high court’s lengthy proceedings delayed the implementation of the agreement, the judgment has now “opened the window” for the diplomatic route to advance.
Otti warns politicians against exploiting Kanu’s ordeal
The governor also issued a stern warning to political actors seeking to weaponise the development for divisive or opportunistic purposes.
“May I caution politicians who have positioned themselves to play petty and dirty politics with the travails of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to jettison the idea,” he said.
“Rather, they should work with us to secure his freedom.”
Calls for calm, restraint
Otti appealed to residents to maintain peace and avoid inflammatory rhetoric or actions that could derail the delicate engagements underway with the Federal Government, which he praised for showing readiness to embrace a compassionate, dialogue-based resolution.
“I have no doubt that with the assurances I have received, a resolution is in sight and Mazi Kanu will receive his freedom,” he added.
‘Dialogue, not force, remains the path’
Reflecting on his earlier intervention during the 2017 military raid on Kanu’s family home, the governor recalled that he had consistently warned against heavy-handed approaches, noting that the crisis escalated because it was mishandled from the beginning.
“Leadership requires emotional intelligence, restraint, and tolerance, rather than force and violence,” he said.
“We cannot allow this issue to fester and become a more monstrous problem.”
Otti reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing a peaceful, pragmatic solution that will restore calm to the Southeast and heal longstanding tensions.
“My resolve is unwavering. I will deploy wisdom, high-level dialogue, and diplomacy until genuine peace returns to the South East,” he assured.
Picture: Governor Otti and Kanu
