Abuja—Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February election, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday stated that he plans to grant detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, unconditional release if he emerges as Nigeria’s leader.
Kanu has been in the detention facility of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 when he was intercepted and ‘renditioned’ to Nigeria from Kenya by the federal government.
Confirming Atiku’s plan, Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of Atiku/Okowa campaign in Anambra State, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said the PDP candidate will rely on the Appeal Court judgement to release the Biafra agitator, ThisDay newspaper reports.
According to Okonkwo, the appellate court was very explicit that Kanu should be a free man and no court can try him again for the alleged offence.
The PDP chieftain also disclosed that one of Atiku’s key programmes would be to ‘instil permanent peace’ in parts of the country especially the South-east region.
To achieve this, he said Atiku would release all South-east agitators in detention and ensure that the tension in the region is doused.
He, therefore, urged the people of the zone to throw their weight behind the PDP candidate to win the February 25 poll, knowing that he has in mind the best interest of the region.
“I am saying this with every sense of responsibility that Atiku will grant Nnamdi Kanu unconditional release. That is in Atiku’s agenda for permanent peace in the South-east. In addition, he will also apply political solution to release all those genuine IPOB agitators in detention without trial.
“Atiku’s government will have serious talks with the group and others, with the view to restoring their faith in the country, and make them part of the effort for better Nigeria. However, the criminal elements will be dealt with decisively.
“What we are now therefore saying is for this to happen, peace must reign for election in the South-east, and the need for the South Easterners to fall behind PDP,”he said.
With this plan, Atiku, he noted is the only candidate that has a plan to address the situation in the South-east, to the benefit of the region and country generally.
