Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has urged the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to make the release of the leader of the proscribed Indegenious People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a priority after being sworn-in on May 29.
Soludo, who made the call in a statement he issued to journalists on Tuesday, congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 presidential election for emerging victorious.
He pointed out that insecurity was ravaging the South-East region, and advised that efforts to bring solution to the situation should be everyone’s concern.
Soludo, who is the National Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), stated that the Nigerian youths are the heroes of the 2023 general election.
He said in the press statement he personally signed that, “The 2023 General Elections in Nigeria have come and gone. While we commend INEC for the successful completion of the general elections, it is important to note that we must seriously continue to reform and strengthen our electoral processes and citizens’ political participation as we march towards a more perfect system.
“To me, the true heroes of the last elections are the citizens of Nigeria, especially the youths, 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 Ahmed Tinubu for his election. We congratulate your closest opponents for their courageous and impressive outing.
“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.”
He added, “One critical issue that we must draw your urgent attention is the issue of systemic insecurity 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.
“In this regard, may I repeat my previous calls and hereby request our President-Elect to release Mazi 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.”
Soludo also congratulated the newly elected State governors, and pledged to join hands with them at the level of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to build Nigeria.
He advised all those who are aggrieved about the outcome of the elections to take relevant steps in recovering their mandate, while stating that some APGA candidates, whose positions were announced for other political parties would also approach the courts.
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