Victor EzejaAnambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has urged Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, immediately after his swearing-in into office.
Governor Soludo made the appeal on Tuesday, 21st March while congratulating Tinubu and all other winners in the February 25 and March 18 elections as well as Nigerians in general on the successful polls.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Soludo also applauded Nigerian youths for their active role during the 2023 general election, noting that they are the heroes of Nigeria’s democracy.
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The governor stated that with the election over, attention should be shifted to addressing challenges bedevilling the country such as insecurity, and the poor state of the economy.
On the security challenges in the South-East, the Anambra governor stressed that it is imperative that the IPOB leader who has been in detention for almost two years now should be released.
Soludo said that Kanu needs to be at the negotiating table for solutions to issues affecting the region of which insecurity is currently number one.
“The 2023 general elections in Nigeria have come and gone. To me, the true heroes of the last elections are the citizens of Nigeria, especially the youth, whose voices will continue to be critical as we collectively strive to build a new Nigeria. Nigeria is the winner, and I am confident that a better future lies ahead of us.
“Let me also congratulate the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his election. We congratulate your closest opponents for their courageous and impressive outings.
“Nigeria needs healing and restructuring, and the fundamental challenges of insecurity and the economy remain humongous.
“We pledge to collaborate and partner with you and the Federal Government for the development of Anambra State and Nigeria. This is the only country that we call ours and we must make it work.
“In this regard, may I repeat my previous calls and hereby request our President-elect to release Nnamdi Kanu immediately after swearing-in (that is, if he is not released before then). We need him around the table as an important stakeholder in discussions about healing and sustainable peace in the South-East.
“While our efforts with the security agencies are yielding significant results, we believe that sustainable peace and security will be enhanced through wider non-kinetic engagements with all critical stakeholders,” Soludo stated.
He thanked all residents of the state, traditional and religious leaders, youths, women, and leaders of town unions, among others for their faith and continued support of his administration in the last year. He also expressed delight that his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won seats in the national and state house of Assembly, adding that the Anambra people have truly demonstrated once again that the state is truly APGA land.
While noting that those who are dissatisfied with the results of the elections have their right to challenge it through legal processes, he equally claimed that some of the seats in the State House of Assembly announced for other political parties were won by APGA, and would be reclaimed through the court.
He, however, extended a hand of fellowship to elected lawmakers of other political parties to join together in moving the state forward.
“I hereby extend my hands of fellowship to the elected members of the state and National Assemblies from other political parties in Anambra State. Let us work together for the greatness of our dear state. Elections and partisan politics are now over and we should now focus 100 per cent of our time on delivering good governance to our dear people,” he concluded.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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