Opinion
Has the South-East Traded Kanu and Obi for Political Access? By Mohammed Bello Doka
When Nnamdi Kanu was handed a life sentence, expectations were clear and historic. Across Nigeria, many anticipated a decisive political reaction from the South-East: emergency meetings, coordinated resistance, forceful statements from governors, and a re-assertion of the region’s long-held grievance narrative.
What followed instead was something far more revealing — a loud, deliberate silence.
No collective pushback by South-East governors.
No political reprisal.
No price imposed on the centre.
And in that silence lies a deeper story — one that goes beyond Nnamdi Kanu alone.
For the first time in Nigeria’s political history, all five South-East governors are aligned — directly or indirectly — with President Bola Tinubu and his re-election project. This is not speculation. Public statements and political signaling from the zone confirm that the governors have closed ranks around Abuja. Some openly endorse Tinubu; others maintain strategic silence while cooperating fully with the centre. Either way, the outcome is the same: regional power has moved away from confrontation to accommodation.
This alignment explains much more than the silence after Kanu’s sentence. It also explains the quiet abandonment of Peter Obi’s presidential ambition by the same elite class that once benefited from his momentum.
For years, the South-East sustained a dual political narrative:
Nnamdi Kanu represented resistance — a symbolic struggle against marginalisation.
Peter Obi represented reform — a constitutional path back to relevance at the centre.
Today, both pillars have been set aside.
Unlike previous moments in history when South-East elites distanced themselves from regional causes out of weakness or isolation, this time is different. This retreat did not happen in defeat. It happened from a position of leverage:
The region had unprecedented national sympathy after 2023.
It commanded a powerful youth-driven political movement.
It had emotional capital across Nigeria and the diaspora.
Yet, despite this strength, the elite chose survival.
South-East governors — the true controllers of the political system — have clearly decided that confrontation carries higher costs than alignment. Federal access, security cooperation, budgetary relevance, and political protection now outweigh symbolic struggles. In plain terms, Kanu became a political risk, Obi an electoral uncertainty.
This raises unavoidable rhetorical questions.
If the South-East remains as marginalised as long argued, why was Kanu’s life sentence not treated as a regional emergency?
If injustice still defines the regional condition, why has no political consequence followed?
Or has political access softened the meaning of marginalisation itself?
Even more unsettling is what this silence suggests about the future.
Will there be consequences from the people?
Governors may control the machinery, but history shows that South-East grassroots sentiment does not always move in sync with elite calculations. Suppressed anger, when ignored, rarely disappears — it mutates.
Has the South-East finally been subdued?
Or is this only a strategic pause — a recalibration before another political rupture?
And perhaps the most dangerous question of all:
What becomes of the Biafra agitation in a post-elite world?
If the political class no longer carries the banner — and the state believes resistance has been neutralised — the struggle may not end. It may simply lose its intermediaries and become harder to predict, harder to control, and more radical in form.
For now, the facts are clear.
South-East elites have chosen power over protest.
Access over agitation.
Survival over symbolism.
Whether the people follow — or resist — that choice will define the region’s political future far more than any endorsement ever could.
And until then, the silence after Kanu’s sentence remains the loudest statement the South-East political class has ever made.
Oluwasegun Ajiboye has emerged as the Chairman of the Professional Online Media Practitioners Association.
Ajiboye is a seasoned media professional with extensive experience in journalism and public communication. He was appointed Chief Press Secretary (CPS) by former Ondo State Governor, the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
Before his appointment, Ajiboye served as Assistant Editor with The Nation newspaper. He studied Language and Linguistics at the University of Lagos.
A native of Irun Akoko in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Ajiboye began his journalism career in 2000 as a reporter with The News magazine before moving to The Sun newspaper in 2003.
Between 2007 and 2009, he served as Press Secretary to the late former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Agagu.
He also worked as Group News Editor of the defunct National Life newspaper until 2012, when he joined The Nation as Assistant Editor of its Saturday title.
His emergence as chairman is expected to bring his wealth of experience in journalism and media management to the association and the practice of online journalism in the country.
In his acceptance message, Ajiboye expressed deep appreciation to members of the association for the confidence reposed in him, describing his emergence as a call to greater service. He pledged to work tirelessly with all stakeholders to strengthen unity, professionalism, and innovation within the body, while advancing the growth and credibility of online media practice across the country.
Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, has been killed following a wave of coordinated attacks targeting military installations across the country.
Camara reportedly died from injuries sustained during an attack on his residence in Kati, a key military garrison town located about 15 kilometres from Bamako.
The assault, which occurred barely 24 hours before his death, involved a suicide car bomb and formed part of a broader offensive across the country.
The attacks were reportedly carried out by fighters linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, alongside Tuareg rebels from the Liberation Front of Azawad.
According to Al Jazeera, the attackers were able to breach Kati, considered one of the most secure military locations in Mali.
Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership, rose to prominence after playing a central role in the coups of 2020 and 2021 that brought the current junta to power.
Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque described his death as significant.
“He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership… His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces,” he said.
The coordinated offensive extended beyond Kati, with gunmen attacking several locations including Bamako, Gao, Kidal and Sevare.
“As we speak, people in the garrison town of Kidal can still hear heavy gunfire and loud explosions,” Haque said, adding that the operation remained ongoing more than 24 hours after it began.
The attacks have intensified pressure on Mali’s interim leadership, with analysts suggesting that security forces were overwhelmed by the scale and coordination of the violence.
However, Interim President, Assimi Goita, was reportedly moved to safety and remains in control of the military.
International bodies, including the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the United States Bureau of African Affairs, have condemned the attacks and called for urgent measures to restore stability.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has released CCTV footage and images of the suspect involved in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.
The footage, released shortly before the President addressed the media, reportedly shows the suspect running into the ballroom of the Washington Hilton, bypassing security metal detectors as armed agents moved swiftly to intercept him.
Trump, who described the individual as a “would-be assassin,” said the suspect was heavily armed and had breached a critical security checkpoint.
According to reports by the BBC, the President stated that the suspect “charged past a security checkpoint” carrying multiple weapons.
Images shared by the President showed a shirtless man lying face down in the foyer with his hands restrained behind his back, believed to be the suspect.
Authorities confirmed that the individual is now in custody. Trump disclosed that one law enforcement officer was shot during the incident but survived due to wearing a bulletproof vest.
The shooting occurred on Saturday night during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a high-profile gathering of government officials, journalists and dignitaries.
The incident triggered panic, forcing the evacuation of guests and top officials from the venue.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing to determine the motive and circumstances surrounding the security breach.
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