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Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has come under intense criticism following his remarks on Justice James Omotosho’s November 20 verdict sentencing Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment.
The former Abia State governor drew widespread condemnation for statements interpreted as endorsing the court’s ruling and suggesting that the Igbo were being overly sentimental.
One of the most vocal critics, the U.S.-based diaspora advocacy group Rising Sun, described Kalu’s interview on Channels Television as a “disgraceful display” aimed at currying political favour with the presidency. In a statement signed by Chairman Maxwell Dede and Coordinator Father Augustine Odinmegwa, the group accused Kalu of “shamelessly defending” the controversial judgment.
During the interview, Kalu claimed that over 30,000 people had died as a result of the Biafra agitation, and he condemned Kanu’s courtroom reaction as an expression of anger. The Rising Sun Group countered, saying it would have been more honorable for Kalu to remain silent rather than publicly “lambasting Nnamdi Kanu over his response to the clear injustice he suffered.”
The group argued that Kalu’s statements confirmed suspicions that he is among a segment of the Igbo elite willing to prioritise political interests over communal loyalty. They also criticized his claims about his purported role in securing Kanu’s release in 2017 and his disparagement of the Igbo people who disagreed with the verdict.
Read also: If Kanu Shows Remorse, I’ll Push For His Amnesty’ – Sheikh Gumi
The Rising Sun warned Kalu and others it termed “serial Igbo traitors” to refrain from using Kanu’s case as a political tool. They challenged him to leverage his influence proactively if he truly had the power to resolve the matter politically, rather than making public statements for political gain.
The diaspora group also rejected Kalu’s comparison of his own conduct during his financial fraud trial to Kanu’s behaviour in court. “There is no parallel between his offence and Kanu’s trial under trumped-up terrorism charges,” the statement emphasized.
Rising Sun further urged Kalu to stop seeking political relevance at the expense of his people, warning that attempts to use Kanu’s situation to curry favour with the presidency would not be accepted by the Igbo. The group accused Kalu of opportunism, noting that he had previously opposed President Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid, campaigning instead for Senate President Ahmed Lawan.
Highlighting the violence faced by IPOB members, the statement questioned Kalu’s attribution of over 30,000 deaths to the separatist agitation, asking whether he was ignoring the documented killings of IPOB members by security forces in Nkpor, Onitsha, Aba, and Port Harcourt. “How could Kalu blame the victims of state brutality for crimes they did not commit?” the group asked.
The statement concluded with a stern warning to Kalu and like-minded politicians: “History will judge those who betray their people for selfish gains. Refrain from reckless and treacherous remarks regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s ordeal.”
