By Comfort Olayinka
Following Thursday’s landmark judgment by a Federal High Court in Abuja sentencing IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, has assured Nigerians that “all hope is not lost.”
In a statement issued from his office on November 20, 2025, Kalu revealed that efforts are underway to pursue a political solution aimed at securing Kanu’s eventual release.
The Deputy Speaker stressed that with the court process concluded, the window for political intervention—previously hindered by the ongoing trial—has now fully opened.
Kalu expressed strong confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, noting that the President has demonstrated willingness in the past to listen to well-meaning voices from across the country, including respected Igbo leaders advocating for calm and reconciliation.
“Now that the court has finished, it is time to intensify requests for the President’s intervention,” Kalu said. “We are sure that the President is not averse to it. We are going to get it. All hope is not lost. Our people should remain calm.”
He appealed to Nigerians, especially those in the South East, to maintain peace as leaders work behind the scenes to negotiate a political resolution.
