Tanimu Urges Tinubu to Commute Nnamdi Kanu’s Sentence, Open Door for National Dialogue

From Paul Orude Bauchi

A  presidential aspirant on the platform of Young Progressives Part (YPP) in 2023, Rt. Hon.  Audu Tanimu, has  on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to commute the life sentence of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Tanimu disclosed this in a written open letter addressed to President Tinubu, saying such move  would be a “historic opportunity” to heal national divisions and strengthen Nigeria’s unity.

In the letter dated November 25, 2025, Tanimu urged Tinubu to embrace a path of reconciliation, arguing that Nigeria is “at a crossroads where statesmanship must rise above politics.”

According to him, Kanu’s agitation “arose not from malice” but from frustration over corruption, structural imbalance, and unresolved national grievances. 

Tanimu warned that the continued incarceration of the separatist figure “fuels anger, deepens distrust, and reinforces the dangerous perception of political marginalisation in the South-East.”

He emphasized that the country cannot resolve its longstanding issues through force or political rigidity.

“Fragmentation is not a cure for systemic decay. Polarisation cannot birth prosperity or security,” he noted.

He argued that Tinubu’s administration, which he praised for confronting corruption and showing courage in governance, now has a golden opportunity to be remembered for reconciliation and national healing.

The presidential aspirant listed multiple reasons for granting clemency, including national stability, equity, and justice. 

He believed that commuting the sentence would ease tensions across the South-East, reinforce equal citizenship, open doors to meaningful national dialogue, demonstrate statesmanship and weaken extremist narratives

He further stressed that justice and mercy are complementary, not contradictory.

Tanimu cited provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, including Sections 35, 36, 39, and 40, as well as international human rights conventions such as the ICCPR,  arguing that many of Kanu’s actions fell under political expression, not violence, and that sentencing must be proportional.

He also claimed that charging him under a superseded terrorism law could violate the principle of nullum crimen sine lege — no punishment for a repealed law

The president  aspirant recommended a four-pronged approach if the President agrees to commute the sentence

They include a six-month symbolic custodial term, a supervised release arrangement, a federal-backed national dialogue platform and a national Integration and Equity Charter to address ethnic grievances

He listed over a dozen ethnic nationalities and stressed that none must be treated as second-class citizens in the Nigerian federation.

The letter ends with a passionate appeal, urging President Tinubu to choose dialogue and unity over confrontation:

“The greatest test of leadership is the ability to turn adversaries into partners for peace,.” he said 

Audu expressed confidence that President Tinubu could become the leader who “healed a fractured nation through wisdom, courage, and statesmanship.”