94
By John Azu
The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has clarified that its principal and the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi’s recent comment on listening to all agitators was aimed at national sacrifice and unity.
In a statement signed by the spokesman of POMR, Ibrahim Umar, he said Obi’s statement, which was made in Washington, USA, recently,
offered a significant shift from the conventional, iron-fisted approach to state security and national cohesion.
There have been selective outrage that Obi also assured that he will release and engage the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who is being held in custory for inciting violence and terrorism.
POMR states that it was unfortunate that Obi’s position has been misconstrued by some people who singled out Nnamdi Kanu as one of the agitators and ran with it just to attach Obi to their ethnic motives.
“For decades, Nigeria has leaned heavily on military and security interventions to suppress regional grievances, whether in the Southeast, the Niger Delta, the Middle Belt or the North. Obi’s proposal, being twisted by opponents, suggests that agitation is often a symptom, not the root cause,” the statement reads.
“By shifting the strategy from active combat to active listening, Obi plans to treat agitators not just as security threats but as citizens with grievances — many of which stem from economic marginalisation, perceived injustice, and institutional neglect.
“True national unity cannot be coerced; it must be built. The core argument for Obi’s dialogue-first model rests on three main pillars: Many regional agitations are driven by poverty, high youth unemployment, and uneven development. Listening allows the government to identify the socio-economic disparities driving the anger.
“Agitation frequently flares up when a region feels entirely excluded from the federal power structure. A conversational approach signals that every region has a legitimate seat at the table. And democracy, which our principal plans to practise realistically, will encourage structured dialogue to restore faith in democratic institutions and to demonstrate that the state values civic engagement over intimidation.
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.
“This timeless principle underpins the concept of engaging aggrieved factions to find a common, workable middle ground for a fractured nation.
“Peter Obi’s Media Office, therefore, believes that his stance of listening to agitators is a pragmatic recognition that gun barrel diplomacy has its limits. For a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state like Nigeria, unity cannot be enforced by decree. It must be negotiated through shared prosperity, fairness, and mutual respect.
“A New Nigeria is Possible.”