2027: Why Obi Cannot Commend FG for Ekpa’s Sentencing in Finland

By Elempe Dele

The terrorist and fraud, Simon Ekpa, was on Monday sentenced to six years in prison. While several sectorial quarters hailed the sentencing, including the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, nothing have been heard from the social critic and politician, Mr. Peter Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election in a bid to lead Nigeria as a nation.

Several Nigerians, including the busy content creator, Reno Omokri, has criticized Obi for not commenting on the sentencing. As a matter of honesty, no one should have expected Obi to celebrate or even comment on the predicament of the pro-Biafra separatist for terrorism-related offences, tax fraud and others. At least we obviously know real blood is thicker than mere water.

How can anyone expect Obi, who has his political playground in the South-East, the Biafraland, to make any statement like, “I commend the Finish and Nigerian governments for the six years sentencing of one of our brothers, Simon Njoku Ekpa, for terrorism.”?

Any ethnic politician who knows his onions cannot say, in all honesty, that, “Simon’s actions had caused fear, stopped normal life, maimed people and caused death in several parts of Igboland .” So why do anyone expect Obi to be the first to throw his brother under the bus? Who does that, especially during brewing political resolutions?

Why should Reno, or any sensible Nigerian, be expecting Obi to say, “I am opposed to any kind of armed struggle, I am opposed to the Biafra agitation, I condemn in totality terrorism and the actions of Simon Ekpa, I welcome his sentencing, I urge those he has mislead in believing Biafra is possible through violence in my immediate constituency, which is the South East, to drop their weapons of mass destruction and death, I call on all of them to drop their weapons, surrender and stop the carnage, I will devote my billions into the rehabilitation of the repentant youth instead of using it for undetermined political philanthropy…”

There are expectations that are obviously borne out mere hatred against the former Obidient leader and former Labour Party, LP, member, Peter Obi, and this is one. No one should expect such a betrayal for whatsoever reason. When your brother is down, you either stay with him or keep silent. Coming to the social media to criticize him the way one would quickly criticize Kwam1 for his unruly behaviour should not be encouraged. ‘The family that stick together…’ is one phrase one should never forget during hard times.

The same expectation goes to the Federal Government, FG, that once accused Peter Obi of having ‘separatist tendencies’ for what he said about Nnamdi Kanu’s trial, the purported Independent People of Biafra, IPOB; a terrorist organization, leader who is facing trial in Nigeria for terrorism related charges. In an interview, Obi said Kanu’s continued detention, “…does not make sense to me.”

The FG was too quick to criticize Obi for that sectional political statement knowing full well why he made the statement. No political actor will distance himself or criticize a spiritual leader like Nnamdi Kanu, or one of his heir siblings, Ekpa – this is the plain truth. Of all the agitators of the Biafran state, Kanu is the most popular with very organic following. The FG couldn’t have been expecting Obi to deny Kanu even when he made statements to his willing followers before he was captured to burn down government buildings, target police officers for death, offer a bounty for the death of a political leader, and inflame tensions in the South East, which resulted to vices that have not been to be arrested until this day. Crimes like kidnappings, gun-running, abductions, killings, arson, public assault etc.

So I do not think it makes sense to expect Obi to commend the FG, or even Finland for the sentencing of Ekpa that does not make sense – at least if not for political reason but for the sake of brotherhood in the struggle for half of the yellow sun.