Abia State Governor Alex Otti on Saturday declared that the life imprisonment handed to separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu “is not the end of the road,” urging calm across the Southeast and reaffirming that only sustained dialogue can resolve the crisis that has paralysed the region for years.
Speaking to journalists after an emergency security meeting in Umuahia, Otti, the only serving southeastern governor from the opposition Labour Party, struck a conciliatory tone while distancing himself from celebrations of the verdict.
“This judgment is not the end. There are still legal avenues, and more importantly, there is the political option,” Otti said. “I have always believed, and I still believe, that the best way to resolve the Nnamdi Kanu issue is through dialogue and political solution, not endless litigation.”
He appealed directly to Igbo youth: “I urge our people, especially the young ones, to remain calm and not take laws into their hands. Violence or destruction will only set us back further. We are engaging all relevant authorities to ensure a peaceful resolution.”
Otti revealed that southeastern governors are intensifying back-channel talks with the presidency, adding: “We are not relenting. We will continue to push for a solution that brings peace and allows our people to go about their businesses without fear.”
The governor’s remarks come amid heightened anxiety following Kanu’s transfer to a prison in distant Sokoto State and fears of renewed unrest. Otti emphasised economic revival as the region’s priority: “Our focus remains rebuilding the Southeast. We cannot do that in an atmosphere of chaos.”
His call for dialogue echoes earlier appeals from Peter Obi and Bianca Ojukwu, signalling a unified push by prominent Igbo leaders for executive clemency despite the court’s harsh sentence.
