~ Urges president-elect to release Kanu after swearing in
By Ifeizu Joe
Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has congratulated the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), and president-elect of the federal republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Soludo who is also the National Leader of APGA named Nigerian youths as the heroes of the just concluded National election in the country.
He added that beyond the elections, the insecurity ravaging the South East should be of concern to all, which is why he called on Tinubu to immediately release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), immediately after his swearing in.
The governor in a press statement he personally signed said: “The 2023 General Elections in Nigeria have come and gone. While we commend INEC for the successful completion of the general elections, it is important to note that we must seriously continue to reform and strengthen our electoral processes and citizens’ political participation as we march towards a more perfect system.
“To me, the true heroes of the last elections are the citizens of Nigeria, especially the youths, whose voices will continue to be critical as we collectively strive to build a new Nigeria. Nigeria is the winner, and I am confident that a better future lies ahead of us.”
He congratulated the president-elect, saying: “Let me also congratulate the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his election. We congratulate your closest opponents for their courageous and impressive outing.
“Nigeria needs healing and restructuring, and the fundamental challenges of insecurity and the economy remain humongous. We pledge to collaborate and partner with you and the Federal Government for the development of Anambra state and Nigeria. This is the only country that we call ours and we must make it work.”
On the insecurity in the South East, and the call for Kanu’s release, Soludo said: “One critical issue that we must draw your urgent attention is the issue of systemic insecurity in the South East.
“While our efforts with the security agencies are yielding significant results, we believe that sustainable peace and security will be enhanced through wider non-kinetic engagements with all critical stakeholders.
“In this regard, may I repeat my previous calls and hereby request our President-Elect to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately after swearing-in (that is, if he is not released before then). We need him around the table as an important stakeholder in discussions about healing and sustainable peace in the South East.”
Soludo congratulated the newly elected governors, and pledged to join hands with them at the level of Nigeria Governors Forum to build Nigeria.
He called on all those who feel aggrieved about the elections to take relevant steps in recovering their mandate, while stating that some APGA candidates, whose positions were announced for other political parties will also approach the court.
