Report By Gordi Udeajah
The Abia State Chapter of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, the socio- cultural, non political association of Igbo people in Nigeria and in the diaspora has sought pardon for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ) Nazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is serving life imprisonment, following his conviction by the federal high court , Abuja, and pronounced him guilty of terrorism charges.
Before Kanu’s conviction, use of political solution, rather than prosecution to address his matter, was widely canvassed.
The Abia Ohanaeze spoke yesterday during an enlarged meeting of the leaders of the state 17 Councils in Umuahia, the state capital through its President Dr Chukwuemeka Okwuonu.
The Ohanaeze had before Kanu’s arrest and long detention from 2021, and during his long trial before his conviction on 20 th November 2025, canvassed , urged the federal government, led by the late former president Muhammadu Buhari , and his successor Bola Tinubu, to release Kanu unconditionally, recommending use of political option , rather than legal process to address the matter.
They had argued that hence some Nigerians that were reportedly accused of offenses heavier than the ones Kanu was charged and convicted, after his abduction from Kenya on 19th June, 2021 to Nigeria, detained and prosecuted till conviction on 20th November 2025, were not prosecuted but released or pardoned.
The Abia Ohanaeze President Dr Chukwuemeka Okwuonu told journalists that demanded to know the present stand of the association after Kanu’s life imprisonment sentence, which he is serving in Sokoto Prison, that the state Ohanaeze position is same with that of the national leadership that called and urged for his pardon.
He made reference to the visit of the Abia state governor Dr Alex Otti to Kanu at Sokoto Prison, describing it as a sign of his possible pardon and release.
Dr Okwuonu said that their meeting centered on how the Igbo nation would subsist unity, preserve its culture, language, think Igbo wherever they reside within the country and beyond.
He warned against abandoning Igbo culture and language, stating that so doing would amount to abandoning Igbo heritage, “which is not what we want”.
He said that the essence of their enlarged meting of the leaders of the 17 Councils, was to let the world know that Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo structure is in place in all the states and all Councils in Abia state, and is there to protect Igbo interests, ensure that its activities, projects, programs, are transmitted directly to the grassroots and implemented accordingly.
” Ohanaeze is always poised to protect the interests of Ndi Igbo anywhere they reside, and aligns with governments, at community, state and national levels to ensure that this is done.
“For instance, when we had of a little skirmish in Ghana recently, the Ohanaeze leadership interfaced immediately with the Ghanaian embassy in Nigeria and ensured that the matter was resolved/ addressed.
“Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo is an international global organization, and that is why sometimes they call it Ohanaeze worldwide. That is why we want to ensure that it is everywhere in all states. Because we have our people in every nook and cranny of this country, Ohanaeze has been put in place fully in Nigeria.
Having operated its structures in the various local governments, today we decided to interface with each other at the state level, we are in Nigeria, and part and parcel of this country.
The State leader ( Okwuonu ) cited that recent Statistics showed that our people are not actually participating effectively in the ongoing voters registration exercise.
He consequently enjoined those that have attained voting age to register and be in position to exercise their statutory right to vote during elections.
He commended the Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo National Leadership led by its President -General, Senator John Azuta-Mbata from Rivers State, who hailed from the Igbo area of Rivers State, and urged Igbos in other non Igbo states to join the
