Kanu’s release won’t jeopardize your 2027 vice presidential ambition, AVID tells S’East govs

…Calls for pressure on Tinubu

By Steve Oko

American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent, AVID, has urged South East Governors to get serious with efforts to secure the release of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, assuring them that contrary to their fears, Kanu’s release would not jeopardize their vice presidential ambition in 2027.

AVID in an open letter signed by its President, Dr Sylvester Onyia; and Secretary, Dr Godson Obiagwu, said urged South East leaders to quickly engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with a view to freeing Kanu before Christmas.

According to AVID, “any further delay could be construed as evidence that all South East  Governors are complicit in the continued incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

AVID expressed shock over the allegation that a serving South East Governor is blocking Kanu’s release because he might be an impediment to his vice presidential ambition in 2027.

The letter read:”If it is true, as we have been told that some Southeast politicians, particularly one of the Governors is blocking the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because of his fear that Mazi Kanu will scuttle his ambition to become a Vice President of Nigeria either in 2027 or beyond, we say to such politician that a free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will have neither the motivation, nor the interest to block the ambition of any Igbo that wishes to be a Vice President of Nigeria.

” AVID is committed to seeing that no such interference will occur because we know that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is apolitical and has no interest in engaging in who becomes what in Nigeria’s political landscape.”

Calling for more pressure on the Presidency for Kanu’s release, AVID argued that Kanu’s continued detention is fueling insecurity and tension in the South East.

” We  call on all Southeast Leaders in elective positions at home and in Abuja, especially the five Southeast Governors, to fulfill their several public promises and commitments to approach President Tinubu to seek the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, the letter read in part.

AVID claimed that the Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum, Gov. Hope Uzodinma was reluctant to join in the efforts to release Kanu.

“We have it on good authority that the Chairman of Southeast Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, is somewhat reluctant to deploy the platform of SEGF to meet with President Tinubu on this matter.”

“His unwillingness we gather, stems from the fact that he is afraid that the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will abruptly end the insecurity in the region and Imo State in particular and thus end the “special security intervention fund” he is receiving from the Federal Government of Nigeria purportedly to fund his controversial Ebube Agu.

” On this, we strongly urge Governor Hope Uzodimma to walk-back and put the lives of Ndi Imo and Ndigbo above any fleeting monetary gains from this security intervention fund he is receiving from the Federal Government. It is far better to have a freed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu helping to secure our people than using EbubeAgu that is known to be adding fuel to the fire of insecurity in our land.”

AVID also told heads of security agencies “to eschew their seeming reliance on the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a subterfuge for padding security votes for Southeast which they directly benefit from.”

“We make bold to say that it is unconscionable for any true security chief driven by patriotism and respect for sanctity of human life to block the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, knowing fully well that a free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is critical to ending the insecurity in Southeast, once and for all.”

The letter further read:”To the Southeast civic Leaders, such as Ohaneze, traditional rulers, the clergy and frontline civic groups, we say this: If the Southeast Governors Forum proves unwilling to meet with President Tinubu in the coming days, we urge you all to promptly convene a group that will seek an immediate appointment to meet with President Tinubu to end this madness in our land.

“Given that Ndigbo recently lost the President of Ohaneze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, we call on the Obi of Onitsha (the Agbogidi) to convene a small group of eminent Chiefs and the Clergy that he will lead in meeting with President Tinubu.

“To Governor Alex Otti, we are minded to suggest that if all others prove reluctant or dilatory in meeting with President Tinubu over this matter, Your Excellency should rise to the occasion and go lone-wolf in meeting with President Tinubu with only one request: release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before 25th December 2024.

“We are suggesting this as the next best option because Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a native of Abia and thus deserving of all the protections and comfort he can get from his Governor.

“It is time for all Ndigbo worldwide, individually and collectively, to strongly and publicly demand the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since it has become crystal clear that the courts are incapable of dispensing justice or upholding the rule of law in this matter.”