Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has made a significant political gesture and a claimed compassionate move by visiting the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, where he is serving a life sentence for terrorism.
The visit, which took place on Sunday, November 30, 2025, marks the first time a governor has visited Mr Kanu in the Sokoto facility since his recent conviction and subsequent transfer from Abuja.
In a statement issued by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Governor Otti expressed “optimism regarding the imminent administrative resolution” of the protracted case, assuring the IPOB leader that he would soon regain his freedom.
Governor Otti, who was accompanied by the Abia State Attorney General, Mr. Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN), and Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu, stated that the multi-pronged discussions he initiated over two years ago had gained renewed momentum following the recent court verdict.
He reiterated his position that the life sentence handed down on November 20, 2025, by the Federal High Court in Abuja was “not the end of the road,” and emphasized his confidence that the matter would be resolved through “administrative” means rather than protracted judicial appeals.
The Governor’s office revealed that the diplomatic push is gaining key support, noting that the Sultan of Sokoto has also expressed his willingness to support a peaceful and administrative settlement to de-escalate tension in the South-East. In a moment of reported levity, Governor Otti informed Kanu that the Sultan had, on a “lighter note,” now considered him his “subject” and intended to “turban him,” a remark said to have made the IPOB leader laugh loudly.
Kanu, who was described as being in very good spirits, commended Governor Otti for the developmental strides in Abia State, likening his performance to that of the revered late Sam Mbakwe. He also offered prayers for the governor’s success, stressing his deep interest in good governance and the welfare of the people.
Governor Alex Otti’s immediate and high-profile visit to Nnamdi Kanu in Sokoto is more than an act of political compassion; it is a calculated strategic move designed to fill the political vacuum created by the recent terrorism conviction and the accompanying transfer of the IPOB leader far from his home base. TheLink News observes such critical dynamics as the court’s life sentence legally cementing Kanu as a convicted terrorist.
Otti’s focus on an “administrative resolution” is a direct attempt to shift the issue from a rigid legal dilemma (which can only be resolved by appeal or pardon) to a flexible political/executive decision (which relies on negotiation and Presidential will). This puts the onus back on the Presidency to accept a political solution to end the regional volatility.
By being the first governor to visit Kanu in his new, distant place of detention, Otti assumes the mantle of the primary political negotiator for the South-East on this sensitive issue. This strengthens his political capital in the region and aligns him with the popular sentiment that favors Kanu’s release as a prerequisite for peace.
The mention of the Sultan of Sokoto’s support is a diplomatic masterstroke. It frames the proposed resolution not as an Eastern regional demand, but as a national concern supported by influential figures across the North. This broadens the political legitimacy of the administrative resolution, making it easier for the Presidency to justify a potentially controversial decision.
While the legal routes for Kanu’s immediate release (like the dismissed Appeal Court case on rights breaches) appear blocked, Otti is banking on the political cost of Kanu’s continued detention, namely the recurring insecurity and the economic toll of the sit-at-home order, being high enough to compel a Presidential intervention before the appeal process runs its full course.
