64th Independence: Ohanaeze seeks pardon for Nnamdi Kanu

•Cautions S’East govs against obstructing emergence of new leader from Rivers

As Nigeria marks the 64th anniversary of its independence, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to use the occasion to grant a political pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Vice-President Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, appealed in an interview with journalists in Awka on Tuesday, during a ceremony to commemorate the day. Kanu has been incarcerated at the DSS custody in Abuja since his extradition from Kenya in 2021.

Okeke-Ogene insisted that his release would restore peace, enable the perpetrators of violence in the South-East to be identified and put an end to the disturbing sit-at-home practice in the region.

This is as another faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday cautioned two South-East governors and others against obstructing the election of a new President-General of the body which has been zoned to Rivers State. In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, it said as stated in its constitution that it is the right of Rivers to produce the next President-General between January 10 and 11, 2025.

The statement read in part: “The emergence of the President General from Rivers State through lawful and proper constitutional procedures is not merely a formal requirement; it is essential for fostering unity among the Igbo people.

“In light of recent developments, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been alarmed by the conspiring efforts of two governors, alongside a former military general who served as both head of state and president of Nigeria from the Southwest, a former 2023 presidential candidate from an opposition party, a notable chieftain of the Pan Niger Delta organisation, and several other subversive elements.

“These actors are seemingly united to undermine the constitutional prerogative of Rivers State and usurp its rightful claim to the presidency of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, instead favouring an individual from Abia State.”

The group also expressed its gratitude to all sons and daughters of Igbo lineage, both home and abroad for their commitment to the observance of the 2024 Igbo Day held at many worship centres on September 29, 2024.