The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called on President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to set free, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
They threatened to boycott the 2023 general elections should their demand not be met.
Kanu is currently facing charges bordering on treasonable felony at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The IPOB leader was initially granted bail in April 2017 over health conditions. However, he flouted some of the bail conditions given him by the court.
He fled the country to the UK where he also holds a citizenship but was rearrested while on a visit to Kenya in June 2021.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, January 1, 2022, Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro urged Buhari to free Kanu so that peace, security and stability can return to the South-East of Nigeria.
The statement added that setting Nnamdi Kanu free will restore the dignity of Nigeria and readmit her into the comity of nations.
The statement:
“President Muhammadu Buhari should release Nnamdi Kanu in 2022 to authorise peace, security, and stability to return to southeastern Nigeria.
“But if he’s not released in 2022 as being championed by Northern leadership (Arewa Consultative Forum and Northern Elders Forum), there will be no 2023 elections in Eastern Nigeria with the evidence of sit-at-homes in the East and it will deteriorate the security challenges of Southern Nigeria.
“Buhari cannot shy away from releasing Nnamdi Kanu, it will help to obliterate the negative impression of Nigeria in the eyes of the international community, and restore the dignity of Nigeria, and re-admit her amongst the commit of nations.
“In 2023, we are committed to a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction as a result of addressing the equity, fairness and obeying the agreement of rotational presidency reached by Nigeria’s patriots in 1999, which has helped to stabilise the country.
“It will be unwise to scuttle it now it favours Ndigbo, we will commence the political journey of 2023 with persuasive visits to all the geopolitical zones of the country by January 13, 2023.
“But in the case of conspiracy, sabotage, and denial of Igbo the 2023 presidential tickets in APC and PDP, both the conspirators and saboteurs will only be available for the doomsday and may not superintendent the affairs of the country in 2023, as secessionist groups will be strengthened and unified by the evidence of political neglect, marginalisation, and enslavement of Eastern Nigeria.”
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‘Buhari Lacks the Power to Release Nnamdi Kanu’ – Keyamo
‘Free Nnamdi Kanu Otherwise, No 2023 Election in South East’ – Ohanaeze