Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has urged President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Soludo said Kanu’s release would enable him to take part in a roundtable dialogue on the future of the Igbo nation.
The governor made the call on Monday in Awka at the 2025 World Igbo Day celebration organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The event had the theme: Onye Aghana Nwanne Ya (Be your brother’s keeper).
Soludo said it was time for the Igbo to reflect on their past and chart a new path forward, stressing that they have a “significant stake in the Nigerian project.”
He stated: “We must begin the search for a new Igbo land. The time has come for us to have an honest conversation and collaboration with both regional and international blocs about our future.”
The governor commended Ohanaeze for designating September 29 as a day to honour those who lost their lives in the pursuit of nationhood.
He described the remembrance as “a solemn and necessary step towards healing and reflection.”
Soludo also warned against agitation for conflict, saying those who witnessed war would never wish it upon the people again.
“For those craving for war, it is because they never saw one and do not know what it looks like. Those who truly saw war will never pray for such to befall Igbo land, Nigeria, or any nation,” he noted.
He called on Ohanaeze to take a stronger stance against insecurity in the south-east while leading a moral rebirth anchored on Igbo values such as integrity, hard work and enterprise.
“We need the cleansing of Igbo land to revive and promote our value system. Ohanaeze must rise up and lead this moral transformation,” he added.
