Presidency slams Peter Obi’s reaction to Kanu’s conviction as politicising national security
Peter Obi
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has criticises former presidential candidate Peter Obi for his recent statement on the conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, accusing him of politicising a sensitive national security issue.
Reacting on social media, Olusegun said, “Mr Obi, your statement is not driven by justice or genuine concern for peace. It is a calculated attempt to politicize a national security issue and turn Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction into another opportunity for political posturing.”
He went further to highlight Obi’s silence on prior violence linked to IPOB and ESN, noting, “You have never openly condemned the killings, beheadings, arson, kidnappings, and terror carried out by IPOB and ESN. For years, you carefully avoided acknowledging the violence in the Southeast.
“You remained silent while innocent people were murdered. You had no comment when sit-at-home orders crippled economic life and cost lives.”
Olusegun accused Obi of “selective empathy” and hypocrisy, stating, “To say Kanu ‘should never have been arrested’ without acknowledging the bloodshed linked to his movement is not leadership. It is a political calculation.”
He also dismissed Obi’s reference to Nigeria’s economic hardship as “a diversion tactic,” emphasising that “dialogue and political solutions are meaningful only when there is accountability and remorse, not when communities are still bleeding.”
Olusegun concluded, “Nigeria deserves leaders who tell the truth, not those who remain quiet about violence for years and suddenly find their voice only when it suits them.”
Earlier, Peter Obi called Kanu’s conviction “a failure of leadership and a misunderstanding of the issues at stake,” urging Nigerians to reflect deeply amid current national challenges.
He said, “The news of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction should compel every well-meaning Nigerian to pause and reflect. This is coming at a time when our beloved nation is facing severe economic hardship, insecurity, and the consequences of poor governance.”
