News - April 5, 2023

Ohanaeze Charges Tinubu To Release Nnamdi Kanu

Lois Agada April 5, 2023

3 min read

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked President-elect, Bola Tinubu to unconditionally release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. The request which comes ahead of the 29th of May Presidential Inauguration Ceremony is targeted at pacifying the Igbos.

Addressing newsmen, the Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro noted that the peace and security of the Southeast will be restored if Kanu was released.

Ohanaeze issues four demands to Tinubu

Isiguzoro stated that Tinubu must appease the Southeast region by fulfilling the four charter demands. He said, “Tinubu must pacify the Southeast with four charter of demands for the region to accept him as President of Nigeria, and for Ndigbos to stand tall and defend his mandate.”

First on the list is the unconditional release of Kanu, either by granting him a presidential pardon from Eagles Square during his acceptance speech or by using the power of the presidency to release him. Second, the Secretary-General noted that “ The president-elect must start the healing process by ensuring that he balances the Muslim-Muslim ticket by giving a Christian from the Southeast the president of the senate.”

He stressed that the President of the Senate must not be ranking Senators who don’t have the character to protect the interest of the country. Isiguzoro said, “We are calling on the senate to amend their rules and allow first-timers because those who are ranking Senators have dubious characters and can’t represent the interest of Ndigbos.”

Third, Isiguzoro charged Tinubu to put political structures on the ground to ensure that “Ndigbo feel the promise that Buhari made to us secretly that he would ensure the region gets a sixth state; Ohanaeze already has a plan for it.”

The group further asked Tinubu to focus on “all the economic gateways across the country including the reopening of the Calabar wharf, dredging of the Azumiri River, granting IPOB members amnesty, and compensating families killed over the years.”