Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has reaffirmed his long-held belief that the continued detention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, can only be resolved through a political process, not through prolonged legal battles.
Speaking during a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday following his formal defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mbah said his stance on Kanu’s incarceration has remained unchanged since he assumed office.
“It took barely a week after I became governor that I met with the President, and I was very specific when I came out to brief the press that I raised the issue of Nnamdi Kanu with him,” Mbah stated.
The governor emphasized that a political resolution represents the most viable and sustainable path to ending the protracted crisis surrounding Kanu’s detention and the broader grievances in the South-East.
“I strongly believe that the Nnamdi Kanu issue will ultimately be resolved politically,” he said. “Now, more than ever, the South-East must seize this opportunity to consolidate its position and present a united front in pushing for a political solution.”
Governor Mbah urged regional stakeholders, political leaders, and opinion shapers to first embrace the principle of a political settlement before working out the finer details of implementation.
“The first step is to accept that this is the right approach,” he explained. “Once we agree on that, we can collectively work out the details. It’s not something to outline immediately, but the direction must be clear — a political solution is the way forward.”
His comments come amid renewed national debate over Kanu’s continued detention, which has persisted despite multiple court orders granting him bail.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had recently described the IPOB leader’s prolonged incarceration as “an open sore on our nation’s conscience,” calling for his immediate release and warning that the situation poses a serious test to Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law.
Kanu, who was re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria in June 2021, has since remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
He currently faces a seven-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism-related offences — charges that have sparked widespread legal and political controversy across the country.
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