Governor Soludo Reveals Why Nnamdi Kanu Must Be Released Before 2023 Elections

Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo has revealed why the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu must be released before the 2023 general elections.

Charles Soludo Says Nnamdi Kanu’s Release Is Critical

KanyiDaily recalls that the IPOB leader has been in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) since 2021 on an allegation of treasonable felony after he was extradited from Kenya.

On January 14, 2023, Soludo revealed that he had written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking for the unconditional release of Kanu who has been in detention since 2021.

The governor added that if the detained IPOB leader could not be released unconditionally, he (Kanu) should be released to him, stressing that he was ready to stand surety for him and house him in the Anambra government house in Awka.

Speaking in a recent interview with Channels TV, Soludo insisted Kanu’s release is critical for the peace and security of the South-East region during the 2023 general elections.

The governor, who appreciated the FG’s intervention in the South-East crises through its kinetic approach, said there is need for the stakeholders in the region to rally around the table for discussion, to which Kanu is a critical component.

He said, “He would receive that letter in a few days’ time. And I’m very serious about this, because it is not just something personal, it’s not about Chukwuma Charles Soludo, it’s not about me or governance. It is about the lives, security, and prosperity of the entire South-East.

“See, we need to be serious and get into this conversation. We want this election to go peacefully in the South-East. We want everybody to participate. We want peace and security to return. We want long term transformation of this place for us to become very secured and prosperous component or Nigeria. But you need all the stakeholders around the table.

“Now, I thank the President for his assistance to the security agencies, with what they call the kinetic approach. You know, the force, the shooting, the military, all the armed forces and security forces, they have been doing a great job in helping us. But we need to bring this thing to a sustainable conclusion. Shooting is one way of solving it. The non-kinetic approach is what would also complement this, and we want this thing to be fast tracked in a manner to bring it to a close.

“There is someone who is critical in this conversation. We need him around the table, because we also believe since he’s, I mean coming from this part of the country, things we hear about the agitations, tell us that they are also concerned about the prosperity of the South-East. But we cannot have sustainable prosperity, if we do not have sustainable security, and to have that sustainable security we need the critical forces around the table.”

“We need Nnamdi Kanu and like I said, my request is in two folds. Either grant him unconditional release as per the court judgement or if there are other circumstances or reasons why he is being held, then grant him administrative bail and I am prepared to stand as surety I don’t even mind to keep him here at the government house and to provide him whenever he is required.” he said

Soludo concluded by saying that he would continue to push for Kanu’s release, adding that he believed that other leaders in the region would join the call, even as he reiterated that he wanted the prosperity of the South-East, and that the region should participate in the coming elections.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor recently told the European Union that the IPOB leader needs urgent medical attention as his health worsens.