…Says regional politicians fear his influence on South-East politics
Our Reporter, Abuja
South-East political leaders are not genuinely interested in the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Executive Director of the Rule of Law, Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, has said.
Speaking as guest speaker at the Ikengaonline October Town Hall meeting held on Thursday, with the theme: “The Continued Detention of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB and Insecurity in the South-East,” Nwanguma accused South-East leaders of selfishness, insincerity, and complicity in Kanu’s continued detention.
According to him, the region’s political class has consistently failed to show the same solidarity demonstrated by leaders from other parts of the country in defending their own during similar crises.
“Part of the challenge we have in the South-East is irresponsible political leadership — a self-serving, visionless, and unpatriotic group of people masquerading as leaders,” Nwanguma said.
“We don’t have patriotic leaders who care about the South-East or its people. They are all selfish. In fact, Nigeria is generally a country where the worst of us are leading us, but it is even worse in the South-East.”
He cited examples from other regions, noting that South-West leaders rallied to ensure the release of Sunday Igboho, while South-South leaders stood firmly behind Niger Delta agitators.
“But in Kanu’s case, our politicians are not interested,” he said, adding that many of them fear the IPOB leader’s release could reshape the region’s political landscape.
Nwanguma alleged that apart from a few individuals such as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, most South-East leaders would rather see Kanu remain in detention.
“They fear that if Kanu is free and alive, he will influence the direction of politics in the South-East. Some of those who claim they are working for his release, like Governor Charles Soludo, are not sincere. It doesn’t serve their political interest for him to be free,” he said.
Time for IPOB to re-strategize
The RULAAC boss further charged members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and South-East youths to redirect their energy toward demanding accountability and good governance from their leaders rather than engaging in violent agitations.
“Our young people should begin to question our local leaders — what are they doing with monthly allocations and internally generated revenue? Why are our schools, healthcare, and infrastructure in total decay?” he asked.
He lamented the decay of local government administration in the region, accusing governors of diverting funds meant for grassroots development.
“If our young men focus on holding leaders accountable, those in power will be forced to use public resources for the development of the South-East and not for their selfish political interests,” Nwanguma said.
He concluded that unless the political elite in the South-East are held accountable, the region’s challenges of insecurity and underdevelopment would continue unabated.
