Ohanaeze Renews Call for Kanu’s Pardon, Slams Ndigbo over Poor Voter Registration  

Boniface Okoro in Umuahia

Despite his conviction, Abia State government and other multiple stakeholders were continued to work to secure the freedom of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Abia State chapter, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okwuonu, who disclosed this in Umuahia, however, frowned at the poor participation of Ndigbo in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

Okwuonu said Kanu’s issue was dear to their organisation, assuring the people that Ohanaeze would not relent in pressing hard to get President Bola Tinubu to grant him state pardon.

“Government and Abia people are equally working to ensure that the president will exercise his powers to grant him pardon,” Okwuonu assured.

The Abia Ohanaeze leader, who addressed the press after its maiden expanded executive meeting graced by state executive members and all chairmen of the 17 local government areas, on Tuesday, recalled that the group had appealed for the release of Kanu before his conviction.

“The issue of Nnamdi Kanu is very dear to Ohanaeze Ndigbo. I remember in our meeting in Awka where we had the Igbo Day (celebration), the national President, Senator Azuta Mbata, made a very clear statement, demanding, before he (Kanu) was jailed, that there should be a political negotiation and that Kanu should be freed unconditionally.

“But be that as it may, the case went on and he was convicted. Having been convicted, Ohanaeze Ndigbo is still pressing that he should be granted pardon. 

“If people that committed heinous crimes in this country were given pardon, the man who only used the microphone, without gun, can equally be given pardon.

“We, as Abia State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, are appealing that our dear President should, please, grant pardon to Nnamd Kanu,” he reiterated.