Free Nnamdi Kanu or lose South-East votes, IPOB leader’s special counsel tells Tinubu

Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to order Kanu’s release if he hopes to gain political backing from the South East in 2027.

Ejimakor made the appeal during an interview on Symfoni, an online television platform, where he reiterated that the region’s political support is tied to justice for the IPOB leader.

“Protest is a communicative measure taken by citizens in a country to express their discontent. If you lose the right of peaceful protest, then what is the essence of democracy,” he said.

The lawyer noted that he had secured three legal victories in Kanu’s favour, adding: “I won three victories in the case of Nnamdi Kanu. I won before the Abia State High Court, before the Federal High Court in Umuahia, and won before the Enugu State High Court.”

Ejimakor lamented the continued marginalization of the South East since the end of the civil war, stating that IPOB’s membership runs into millions.

“For any discussion moving forward, there has to be a consideration that should be brought to the table by bringing their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” he added.

He also referenced the position of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, saying: “Peter Obi has publicly called for a halt to the prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Why do they keep looking for him? The bulk stops at President Tinubu’s table. If he doesn’t free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, he can forget the votes of South East. Unless there is another plan, they are not going to win South East without freeing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

Ejimakor’s remarks come shortly after he was allegedly assaulted by police officers during a peaceful protest in Abuja on October 20, demanding Kanu’s release. He was reportedly teargassed and detained at the Kuje Correctional Centre before being granted bail by a Magistrate Court.

In a video released afterward, Ejimakor disclosed that he now relies on an inhaler due to the effects of the tear gas. Despite the ordeal, he has vowed to continue advocating for Kanu’s freedom.

The continued detention of the IPOB leader, despite several court orders and public appeals for his release, has continued to attract widespread criticism.

(SAHARA REPORTERS)