By Marcus Ikechukwu
Founding National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to follow the path of honour by ordering the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Okorie argued that effecting the release of Nnamdi Kanu will usher in a new era of calm and security of life and property, especially in the Southeast and South-south geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
He also noted that one immediate impact following Kanu’s release is the automatic stoppage of the economically debilitating stay-at-home every Monday of the week in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
Okorie believed that criminals operating under cover of IPOB, pretending to be freedom fighters, will now be isolated for who they truly are.
He also noted that it is fortuitous that the Appeal Court judgment is coming at the verge of the electioneering period in the Country, adding that the security concerns of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would be reduced to the barest minimum in the South East and South-south geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
His words of appeal to the presidency, “I join millions of Nigerian citizens and concerned Diaspora Communities in the joy of the well-considered judgment of the Court of Appeal that discharged and acquitted the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on Thursday, 13th October 2022.
“I commend the 3 Justices of the Court of Appeal who demonstrated courage, forthrightness, erudition and dispassion in delivering this historic judgment. Similarly, I appreciate the commitment, resilience, discipline, diligence and admirable professionalism of the team of learned Counsel that defended Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“It is with every sense of responsibility and patriotism that I urge and indeed appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, to accept the verdict of the Court of Appeal in the interest of peace and national unity.
“I further appeal to the President to seize the moment and use his special presidential dispensation to extend pardon to other detainees facing similar charges currently in various Correctional Facilities across the country. As we await the due compliance of the Federal Government with the judgment of the Court of Appeal by promptly releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from the DSS facility, I fervently appeal to the jubilant population of the Nigerian society to celebrate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s freedom responsibly.
“The release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will usher in a new era of calm and security of life and property, especially in the Southeast and South-south geopolitical zones of Nigeria. One immediate benefit of the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the automatic stoppage of the economically debilitating stay-at-home every Monday of the week in the Southeast geopolitical zone.”
“Similarly, the criminals who have been operating under cover of IPOB pretending to be freedom fighters will now be isolated for who they truly are. It is fortuitous that the Appeal Court judgment is coming at the verge of the electioneering period in our Country. At least the security concerns of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would be reduced to the barest minimum in the South East and South-south geopolitical zones of Nigeria.”
“The Federal Government and the good people of Nigeria have everything to gain and nothing to lose by the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The time for President Muhammadu Buhari to show magnanimity and leadership in the vexed issue of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is now.”
