Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has distanced himself from separatist movements, emphasizing that the South-East’s progress depends on its integration within Nigeria, amid growing demands for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor expressed support for peaceful dialogue but rejected Kanu’s secessionist agenda.
“We’ve made it clear that if you are protesting or agitating for anything, you are holding yourself down by killing your own people under the pretext of Monday’s sit-at-home,” Soludo said, noting that the controversial sit-at-home order has largely lost traction in Anambra.
“Anybody sitting at home now is doing so out of preference, not insecurity, as everywhere is secure on Mondays.”
Soludo acknowledged IPOB’s disavowal of the sit-at-home directive, attributing its enforcement to criminal elements. “Even Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB have said they did not support the Monday sit-at-home; it was some criminal elements doing that.
We thank them for their work,” he stated.While affirming the right to protest in a democracy, Soludo clarified that his focus is on governance, not activism.
“As for those agitating or demonstrating, they have a right to do so. But mine is to govern. While social activists do their job, I will do my own,” he said.
The governor revealed he had previously encouraged Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other South-East leaders to engage Kanu in dialogue upon his potential release, stressing that no individual holds a monopoly on the region’s future.
“Why don’t they tell Nnamdi Kanu to come and sit with everybody else? We are all Igbos, and we are all entitled to our views,” he said.
Soludo firmly rejected separatist ideologies, advocating for Nigeria’s unity and the interdependence of its ethnic groups.
“The Igbo man needs Nigeria, and Nigeria needs the Igbo man. We are an itinerant people who cannot afford to be intolerant,” he asserted, adding, “God did not make a mistake in uniting Nigeria’s diverse peoples under one nation.”
He expressed readiness to debate anyone on the Igbos’ prosperity within a united Nigeria.
The governor’s comments come as opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and activist Omoyele Sowore, mobilize for a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja on October 20, 2025, to demand Kanu’s release.
While Obi and others advocate for dialogue and justice, Soludo emphasized building a “livable and prosperous homeland” within a unified and equitable Nigeria.
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