Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has stated that the protracted arrest of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu should be resolved politically rather than through the courts.
Speaking in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday, immediately after announcing his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, Mbah stated that he had constantly advocated for a political solution to the IPOB leader’s release.
The governor stated that he raised the issue with President Bola Tinubu within a week of taking office.
“It took barely a week after I assumed office that I had a meeting with the president, and I was very specific when I came out to address the press that I also raised the issue of Nnamdi Kanu with the president,” he said.
Mbah claimed that he had always believed that addressing the issue politically was the most viable option.
“I believe strongly that the Nnamdi Kanu problem is going to be solved politically. With this now, I think it is also an opportunity for the Southeast to consolidate our position and make a very strong case for this to be resolved politically,” he added.
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Mbah called on stakeholders across the Southeast to embrace the concept of a political resolution.
The governor stated that the terms of any political settlement would require careful consideration but emphasized the significance of regional unanimity before contacting federal authorities.
“First of all, we need to accept the concept that this is the right thing to do,” he said. “Then, the details of implementation will be worked out because there will certainly be details. It is not something you can possibly outline now, but it’s for us to even accept the concept that this is the way to move forward.”
Kanu has been held by the Department of State Services since his re-arrest in Kenya and subsequent extradition to Nigeria in June 2021.
His confinement has sparked considerable condemnation, including from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who branded his extended incarceration “an open sore on our nation’s conscience” and demanded his immediate release.
