JUST IN: Fmr. Bayelsa Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson Calls For Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

JUST IN: Fmr. Bayelsa Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson Calls For Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

Former Governor of Bayelsa State and serving Senator, Henry Seriake Dickson, has called for a political resolution to ongoing separatist agitations in the South East, urging the Federal Government to initiate steps that would lead to the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Senator Dickson stressed that the continued detention and prosecution of agitators have never resolved political or economic grievances anywhere in the world. He maintained that Nigeria must embrace dialogue and broad-minded engagement to achieve lasting peace.

Dickson aligned himself with “well-meaning leaders, the people of the South East, and well-meaning Nigerians,” insisting that a political settlement remains the most viable route to restoring calm, unity, and national integration.

According to him, the goal should be to end all forms of violence, rebuild community trust, and reintegrate affected regions into national life. He condemned all acts of violence—whether in the South East or in the northern parts of the country—while expressing sympathy for victims and their families.

“As a former police officer and a senior lawyer, I feel personally touched when security officers are attacked and killed. We condemn violence and lawlessness wherever they occur,” he said.

Senator Dickson noted that state responses such as arrests, trials, and convictions are common across the world but rarely bring an end to political agitations. Citing historical examples such as Nelson Mandela and Isaac Adaka Boro, he argued that true progress emerges when leaders initiate political processes driven by national interest rather than personal or partisan considerations.

He referenced the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration’s approach to the Niger Delta crisis, which led to the creation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and ultimately restored relative stability to the region. He also recalled how former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon granted Boro and his colleagues state pardon despite their earlier convictions, describing Gowon’s action as “leadership, vision, and broad-mindedness.”

“Legal processes do not address separatist agitations that are political and economic in nature,” he reiterated. “After the legal processes, what must follow is a sincere and holistic political solution that will create public confidence and sustain patriotism by all.”

Senator Dickson emphasized that Nigeria must work toward becoming a country that all its citizens can “trust and believe in—one they can fight for if necessary.”

His intervention adds to growing calls from political leaders, traditional rulers, civil society groups, and community representatives urging the Federal Government to seek a political resolution to the prolonged detention and mostly recently life sentencing of the IPOB leader and the tensions surrounding the issue.