Embattled Nnamdi Kanu Changes Gear, Preaches Unity, Peace, Reconciliation, Restructuring

Nnamdi Kanu, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, has dropped his expletive style of talking and instead, called for national unity and peace in Nigeria, urging the country to shelve its previous differences and aim for an integrated future.

The IPOB leader, in a statement read on his behalf by his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, implored Nigeria to restructure the country for effective federalism, which will usher in reconciliation and greater national unity.

Kanu struck a chord among the majority who believe that the current system in Nigeria has not been able to address grievances within the regions, particularly in the southeast.

The IPOB leader asserted that restructuring the country, according to the 1963 Constitution, would not only be an option for equity and justice but also a time for healing.

He posited that restructuring would grant all regions, particularly the Southeast, the vital infrastructure—seaports, railway lines, and airports—to encourage inclusiveness and economic progress for all Nigerians.

This appeal for peace and unity is coming at a time when different Igbo groups and elders have been vocal in asking for the release of Kanu.

Releasing Kanu, these groups say, would be a significant step towards maintaining peace in the Southeast and solving the region’s age-long issues.

The United Igbo Elders Council, for instance, called on President Bola Tinubu to release Kanu as a gesture of goodwill since it believed that doing so would heal the wounds of the past and bring harmony to the country.

Similarly, influential Nigerians such as Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, a widow of former Biafran leader Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, founder of the Biafra Independent Movement, have also marched in support of Kanu’s freedom.

These individuals claim his release would create a distinction between genuine freedom warriors and criminals and thus restore normalcy and peaceful coexistence to the Southeast region.

For many, Nnamdi Kanu’s call for restructuring and his potential release are considered to be strategic steps towards the attainment of long-term reconciliation and peace in Nigeria.

As the country continues to struggle with the issues of regional cleavages and security matters, Kanu’s message inspires oneness by way of discussion and comprehensive structural reforms.

The growing call for Kanu’s release is symptomatic of an even wider attitude among the vast majority of Nigerians that this country can and must do differenly by a path of justice, equality, and peace.