The latest move by the South-East governors and members of the National Assembly, NASS, to meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has sparked diverse reactions.
Kanu has been a subject of contention in Nigerias political landscape.
While some see him as a symbol of their struggle for self-determination, others view him as a threat to national unity.
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization Olisa Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and Ikoro Ndigbo, among other groups, have welcomed the move as a step towards finding a political solution to the impasse whereas spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, kicked against the proposal. Suleiman argued that Kanus release would undermine the countrys criminal justice system and embolden separatist groups. Furthermore, some have described the move as belated, suggesting that it should have come earlier given the urgency of the situation. Kanus continued detention has been a source of concern for many in the South-East region. The IPOB leaders release has been a longstanding demand of various groups and individuals, including candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi, respectively. Governors from the South-East under the umbrella of the South-East Governors Forum, Tuesday, met in Enugu with a resolve to meet with Tinubu to plead for the release of Kanu. The decisions of the governors were contained in a communique read to the media by their Chairman and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma. Interestingly, barely 24 hours after the governors met, senators from the region numbering 15, led by a former Abia State Deputy Governor, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, met with the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in Abuja, to plead with Tinubu for Kanus release. They submitted a letter to the AGF seeking political solution to the criminal charges against Kanu. Also, South-East lawmakers in the House of Representatives called on the President to consider releasing Kanu. The regions caucus in the House made the call in a statement signed by the 43 lawmakers from Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi states. The lawmakers noted that an out-of-court settlement remained the best option, adding that it would also restore peace in the South-East geo-political zone. Recall that 50 members of the House of Representatives from different parts of Nigeria and political parties, known as Concerned Federal Lawmakers for Peace and Security in the South-East, had, on June 19, appealed to Tinubu to invoke Section 174 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Section 1071 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 for the release of the IPOB leader from detention. The clamour for political solution in Kanus case had heightened recently with Igbo political and traditional leaders, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, pressing the FG to drop the terrorism charges against the IPOB leader.
