Soludo made the call on Saturday in Awka after watching The Tale of Two Nnamdis, a stage play written by Tobe Osigwe and directed by Prof. Uche Nwaozuzu. The production was performed by students of the Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Speaking after the performance at the Light House, Awka, the governor expressed concern over what he described as the absence of sustained intellectual engagement on issues affecting the Igbo people, particularly amid continuing Biafra-related agitations nearly six decades after the declaration of the defunct republic.
He commended the students for initiating what he described as an important conversation that has been largely missing from academic and political discourse.
“I was at UNN last month. I recalled that the Biafran war was literally declared there. I am glad that you people are now leading the way. That conversation must begin in a very structured manner,” Soludo said.
The governor, who reflected on his personal experience during the civil war, recalled that his mother died during the conflict while his father lived with a bullet lodged in his body for 11 years after the war.
“I saw the war very clearly. I am a Pan-Africanist and a proud Nigerian. Ndigbo need Nigerians, Nigerians need Ndigbo, same for the world. Our prosperity will accelerate if we take advantage of a wider space,” he said.
Soludo also criticised methods of agitation that, in his view, hurt the people they seek to protect, citing the prolonged sit-at-home protests in the South-East.
While acknowledging the diversity of opinions within the region, he said he remained committed to dialogue, negotiation and democratic engagement, drawing inspiration from the political approach of Nigeria’s first President, the late Nnamdi Azikiwe.
“Zik helped us; he bargained in the First and Second Republics. He taught us the politics of bargaining,” he said.
The governor further challenged the Igbo political class and the wider population to confront what he described as a contradiction between seeking greater participation in Nigeria’s political system and questioning the legitimacy of the Nigerian state.
“It is true that Ndigbo want the presidency, but the paradox has to be addressed. As a people, where do we stand? How can you govern a people who don’t know your stand?” he asked.
Soludo reiterated his willingness to participate in a structured national conversation on the issue and said he was prepared to engage with different groups, including factions associated with detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
He stressed the need for tolerance of opposing views and pledged support for initiatives that promote civil and intellectual engagement on the future of the Igbo people in Nigeria.
“Any group that advances the conversation of the Igbo question in Nigeria will have our support. The beauty of our republican nature is that you cannot muscle your way through it—you must engage,” he said.
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