The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to explore a political solution in the case of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had convicted Kanu on several terrorism-related charges in a judgment that is still under appeal.
Trial Justice James Omotosho, in his judgment, found Kanu guilty on all seven-count terrorism charges the federal government brought against him.
The court held that the proof of evidence established that the defendant, in his separatist agitation for the Biafran Republic, made a series of illegal radio broadcasts that incited violence and killings across the country.
Following his conviction and sentencing for terrorism by the court, the Department of State Services (DSS) transferred Kanu to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Sokoto.
Showunmi, while featuring on the “Guest Forum”, an interactive programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun Council, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday, urged the president to explore a political solution to resolve the matter.
The public affairs analyst noted that “a greater good of the country is served if he is released than keeping him behind bars.”
He said, “The civil war is long over and it needs to be over. There can be no justification for the killings of Igbos in Igboland under whatever guise.
“Why don’t you let us find a way to collaborate among ourselves and shatter the glass ceiling which is the presidency.
“I call on the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu that, for the benefit of this nation and the people we have lost to keeping this country together, we plead that we are now due for a political solution to Kanu’s case.
“We want the Igbos to understand that there is no conspiracy to do them injustice. We must be willing to look for a political solution because a greater good of the country is served if he is released than keeping him behind bars.
“By leaving him behind bars, we are energising that audience that is just misbehaving and killing people in the South-East.”
Showunmi, however, dismissed the notion that the judgment delivered has a political colouration.
“It is only the Court of Appeal that can determine if there is a miscarriage of justice or not in the case, but let nobody imagine that there is any tribalism or otherwise in that judgement,” he said.
Speaking on the Alternative Movement, Showunmi said the platform is not a political party but a civic space created to mobilise and encourage Nigerians, particularly young people, to take part in politics and the electoral process.
He noted that Nigeria’s democracy can only grow when more people, especially the youth, are involved in shaping it.
Earlier, the Acting Chairman of the Chapel, Peter Moses, explained that the ‘Guest Forum’ serves as a platform for public discourse, debate, and engagement with policymakers, public affairs analysts, and government officials on topical issues that shape society.
“As journalists, we believe that beyond our daily coverage and reporting of events, we have a responsibility to provide platforms for meaningful public discussions such as this. It strengthens democracy by encouraging diverse perspectives,” he said.