Former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka has appealed for calm, restraint, and constructive engagement following the conviction and life imprisonment of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Chidoka made the appeal on Monday in a statement shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account titled, “On the Conviction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu: A Call for Calm, Responsibility, and a Path to Peace…1.”

The former minister said he deliberately took time to read and reflect on the court ruling before speaking publicly.
“Moments like this demand calm thinking and careful consideration,” he wrote, noting that the judgment has stirred “deep emotion” across the South-East and beyond.

He urged youths, IPOB sympathisers and concerned citizens to avoid escalating tensions, stressing that violence would only worsen the region’s challenges.
“Violence will not advance our collective cause; it will only multiply our losses,” he said. “I ask you to trust that pathways to resolution will be fully explored.”

Chidoka explained that while his earlier support for IPOB was based on the democratic right to peaceful agitation, the group had lost moral authority due to violence associated with its name.
“No movement retains moral authority once its name becomes associated with killings, injuries, fear, and the disruption of ordinary life,” he said, adding that the South-East has paid “a heavy price.”

He argued that any credible effort toward peace must begin with a renunciation of violence, surrender of weapons and a truthful acknowledgment of harm caused by IPOB members, affiliates or splinter groups.

Reflecting on his past involvement in Kanu’s legal battles, Chidoka noted that he played a behind-the-scenes role in ensuring Kanu’s 2017 bail was respected despite resistance from the executive branch.
“It was a reminder that our courts, even under intense pressure, can act with courage,” he said, rejecting negative characterisations of judges involved in the current case.

Chidoka acknowledged that Nigerians and legal analysts have raised questions about the recent judgment but insisted that such scrutiny is normal in a democracy. He encouraged reliance on the appellate process, expressing confidence that higher courts would review the case thoroughly and fairly.

Warning that Nigeria is already strained by insecurity, economic hardship and public distrust, the former minister argued that “force alone cannot hold a diverse nation together.” He called for a structured political settlement involving both government action and sincere concessions from IPOB.

He proposed a negotiated framework that includes dialogue, rehabilitation and reintegration—referencing the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and Spain’s resolution of the ETA conflict as examples of violent movements transformed through accountability and negotiation.

“These examples remind us that lasting peace is achieved not through victory or vengeance, but through accountability, courage, and negotiation,” he wrote.

Chidoka urged the Presidency, the National Council of State and leaders across the country to help facilitate a national process rooted in justice and reconciliation.
“Our nation has reached the edge of exhaustion. We must step back, not out of fear, but out of faith in our shared future,” he said.

He concluded by calling for a broader, inclusive dialogue aimed at restoring peace and harmony in Nigeria.