Soludo Rejects Separatist Path, Says South-East’s Future Lies in Nigeria

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has ruled out support for separatist movements, insisting that the South-East’s progress depends on its unity with Nigeria rather than secessionist pursuits.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Soludo said while he respects the right to peaceful protest, he does not share the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s, vision of an independent Igbo nation.

“We’ve made it very clear that if you are protesting or agitating for anything, you are holding yourself down by killing your own people under the pretext of Monday’s sit-at-home,” he said.

The governor noted that the controversial sit-at-home order has largely collapsed in Anambra, explaining that residents who stay home on Mondays now do so voluntarily.

“Anybody sitting at home now is doing so out of his own preference, not because of insecurity, as it were, because everywhere is secure on Mondays,” Soludo stated.

He acknowledged that Kanu and IPOB had publicly dissociated themselves from the order, blaming criminal gangs for hijacking it to terrorise citizens.

“Even Nnamdi Kanu himself and his IPOB are on record to have said they did not support the Monday sit-at-home; it was some criminal elements doing that. And we thank them for their work,” he said.

Soludo emphasised that his duty as governor is governance, not activism, adding that civil demonstrations remain a legitimate right in a democracy.

“As for those who are agitating or going to have demonstrations, they have a right to do so. In a democracy, everybody has freedom of expression. But mine is to govern. While social activists do their job, I will do my own,” he added.

The former Central Bank of Nigeria governor said he had earlier urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo and South-East leaders to engage Kanu in dialogue once he regains freedom, stressing that no single person holds exclusive authority over the region’s direction.

“I said, why don’t they tell Nnamdi Kanu to come and sit with everybody else, because nobody has a greater right than the other? We are all Igbos, and we are all entitled to our views,” he said.

Reaffirming his belief in Nigeria’s unity, Soludo argued that the Igbo nation’s destiny is inseparable from the country’s collective future.

“I am of the view that the Igbo man needs Nigeria and Nigeria needs the Igbo man. The Igbo man needs Africa, and Africa needs the Igbo man. We are an itinerant people who cannot afford to be intolerant. That’s my view,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s diversity is not a mistake but a divine arrangement.

“Do we need Nigeria? Absolutely! And Nigeria needs us. That is my very deep belief. I canvass it with no apologies and hold on to that. I’m prepared to debate this with anyone on the future prosperity of the Igbos,” Soludo declared.

Soludo’s remarks came as opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and activist Omoyele Sowore, intensified calls for Kanu’s release. The trio and other civil society actors are mobilising for a peaceful protest tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, scheduled for October 20 in Abuja.

While Obi and others insist that justice and dialogue remain crucial for national reconciliation, Soludo’s stance underscores a different vision, one rooted in unity, coexistence, and a prosperous South-East within a fairer Nigerian federation.