The American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) has issued a firm call to South East governors, urging them to intensify their efforts in securing the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The group assured the governors that contrary to widespread fears, Kanu’s release would not pose a threat to their political ambitions, including the much-coveted vice-presidential seat in 2027.
In an open letter signed by AVID’s President, Sylvester Onyia, and Secretary, Godson Obiagwu, the group emphasized the urgency of the matter. They implored South East leaders to engage President Bola Tinubu promptly, ensuring that Kanu regains his freedom before Christmas.
Any further delay, the group warned, could suggest complicity among South East governors in the prolonged incarceration of the IPOB leader.
Expressing disbelief at rumors of political sabotage, AVID highlighted speculations that a sitting South East governor might be obstructing Kanu’s release due to fears that his presence could derail the governor’s vice-presidential ambitions in 2027.
Addressing this directly, the group stated: “If it is true, as we have been told that some South East 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.”
The group further stressed that Kanu’s continued detention is exacerbating insecurity and tension in the South East. AVID urged the region’s leaders to increase pressure on the Presidency, noting that the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, appeared hesitant to join efforts aimed at securing Kanu’s release.