Former presidential aide and veteran journalist, Laolu Akande, has criticized the Nigerian judicial system over its handling of the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV program on Thursday, Akande expressed concerns about the fairness of Kanu’s legal proceedings.
Akande acknowledged the gravity of the allegations against Kanu, stating that his past actions necessitate a thorough legal process. However, he emphasized that such legal proceedings must be conducted with fairness and integrity.
“The quantum of allegations against Nnamdi Kanu, the things that we heard him say and do, require him to go through the legal process. I don’t see any compelling need for us to use political traction to solve this matter. I think the allegations against him are strong enough. He hasn’t made any kind of mitigation of it. So, I thought it’s important to test those things in court properly,” Akande stated.
He, however, criticized the judiciary for what he described as poor treatment of Kanu, particularly regarding the decision of a judge who had initially recused herself from the case but was later directed by the Chief Judge to resume handling it.
“What has now happened in the case of Nnamdi Kanu is that the system is treating him very poorly. If we say this guy should go through the legal process, then we have to conduct that legal process in a fair manner. You have a situation where the judge conceded to recusing herself… you can’t then come back on the instruction of the Chief Judge to say that ‘you’ve been compelled to take the case again,’” he argued.
Akande strongly opposed the notion of resolving serious criminal allegations through political negotiations, emphasizing that individuals who have committed violent or heinous crimes should face legal consequences. He linked this stance to other cases involving agitators and criminal elements across the country.
“As Laolu Akande, I never succumb to or agree to a situation where people who have flagrantly, violently violated our commonwealth, committed heinous crimes, should be sorted out politically. No, it’s wrong. Whether it’s Sunday Igboho, whether it’s the bandits in the North-West, whether it’s the terrorists in the North-East, wherever it is, when people break the law violently, where they commit heinous crimes, they need to be disciplined. So that there will be deterrence. There’s so much impunity in our system that I don’t think we should just take the path of political resolution,” he stated.
In the same interview, Akande also weighed in on the ongoing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly the recent suspension of the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Adolphus Wabara. He described the PDP’s handling of internal conflicts as a sign of weak opposition politics.
“It’s a shame that PDP doesn’t know how to play opposition politics. They are just throwing tantrums. Whatever we say about APC, you must give it to APC that they understand opposition politics,” Akande remarked.
He further criticized the PDP for failing to uphold the principle of rotational presidency, which he believes was a key factor in its decline. According to Akande, the party alienated Nigerians when it insisted on fielding a Northern presidential candidate after eight years of a Northern presidency under Muhammadu Buhari.
“The moment you have PDP saying ‘we’re going to throw up a Northern president’ when we’ve just had a Northern president for eight years, that was an assault on the intelligence of Nigerians. And PDP is suffering from it,” he asserted.
Akande’s comments highlight growing concerns over the state of Nigeria’s judicial system and political opposition, calling for greater accountability and adherence to due process in governance and legal proceedings.
