A former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Jude Chukwuemeka Idimogu, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to exercise his constitutional powers and grant clemency to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Idimogu said he was not concerned with who was right or wrong in the ongoing legal battle but urged the president to consider a political solution which would restore peace and stability to the South East region and, by extension, the country.
Addressing journalists yesterday on Kanu’s ordeal, he said, “No person, no group of individuals can fight the government,”
Idimogu stated. “I am only pleading with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his compassionate powers and act as the father of the nation. What we need now is clemency, a political solution.””
Kanu, who was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria, has been in detention while facing charges including treasonable felony. His arrest and continued detention have sparked unrest and protests across the South-East.
Idimogu, who is also the deputy leader of Ndigbo in the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized that granting Kanu a pardon would be a strategic and reconciliatory move ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“If Mr President grants this clemency, it would not only calm tensions but also reignite economic activities in the South-East, which has suffered due to insecurity,” he said. “The average Igbo man is a trader. Business has slowed down drastically in the region, and this can be reversed if Kanu is released.”
He further appealed to other well-meaning Nigerians, irrespective of region or ethnicity, as well as South-East governors and Igbo leaders, to join in urging President Tinubu to consider clemency for Kanu as a means of healing and national unity.
“The South-East used to be home to many people. Today, it is plagued with insecurity. This can change with the president’s intervention. We know him as a compassionate leader. Let him prove that again,” he added.
Idimogu concluded by stating that releasing Kanu could improve the ruling APC’s political fortunes in the South-East, as it would be seen as a gesture of goodwill that resonates with the aspirations of the Igbo people.
“If this is done, the South-East will never forget President Tinubu. It will bring votes, peace, and gratitude,” he said.
