Christian Aburime, Chukwuma Soludo’s Press Secretary, has insisted that the call for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Indigenous People of Biafra’s detained leader, was not politically motivated.
Aburime stated that Soludo’s request for Kanu’s release stemmed from a genuine decision and desire to end the South-East’s persistent instability.
Soludo had recently demanded the IPOB leader’s unconditional release at an All Progressives Grand Alliance campaign rally. The governor stated that he was prepared to serve as his surety.
People in the South-East have reacted angrily to his remarks, implying that the governor made the decision for political reasons due to upcoming elections.
Aburime, on the other hand, stated in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday that the governor demanded Kanu’s release because he had observed that the IPOB leader needed to communicate with the people of the South-East to end the insecurity there.
He expressed concern that the public has misinterpreted the governor’s “genuine” call for political purposes.
He also clarified that Soludo spoke in his capacity as governor of Anambra State and that he did not discuss the situation with any other governors in the South-East.
He stated that the governor observed that the region’s insecurity has continued to worsen since the IPOB leader’s detention.
When asked why the campaign billboards for the Labour Party were taken down, Aburi insisted that the signage company had to do so because the LP had not paid.
He stated, “The genuine desire and intention to remove insecurity from the South-East is the basis for the call for the release of Kanu by Soludo.” You may recall that since Kanu was detained, insecurity has been a significant issue in the region.
You will observe that daily deaths occur, and you will hear of occasional killings in the region. Using President Muhammadu Buhari’s assistance, the governor has implemented what is known as a kinetic strategy to combat the region’s insecurity. However, Soludo discovered that a non-kinetic approach, in which key stakeholders like Kanu are brought to the table to discuss the problem of insecurity in the hopes of finding a long-term solution, is also needed.
“In addition, he is presently stating that Kanu ought to be unconditionally released by the Federal Government so that he can speak to the people of the South-East and be included in the group of individuals who ought to be invited to the roundtable to discuss insecurity.
Additionally, the governor indicated that he is willing to serve as his surety in the event that he is not granted unconditional release. That is a genuine request that is not motivated by politics or egotism. It is a genuine appeal to establish long-term peace in the region.
“Soludo acknowledged that the court had released Kanu, and he stated that if the federal government was unable to release him without conditions due to a number of factors, he would be willing to offer himself as a surety and provide him whenever the federal government desired him.
“While I am unable to disclose whether the governor intends to consult or meet with other South-East governors regarding the Kanu issue, I can confirm that the letter to the AGF is prepared and will be delivered to him at any time.
“In terms of campaign billboards, no billboard was taken down for political reasons; rather, the LP defaulted on payment, and the signage agency of Anambra pursued the unpaid billboards. Due to the parties’ observance of the due process, neither APC nor PDP’s campaign billboards were taken down.