By CHARLES IWUOHA

Top Igbo politician and Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has urged President Buhari to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Okechukwu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), appealed to Buhari to honour the plea of elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, to release Kanu.

In the same vein, he also appeals to IPOB to support Nigeria president of Igbo extraction 2023 project.

“I join Ohanaeze Ndigbo, eminent constitutional lawyer and Chairman, Igbo Leaders of Thought, Prof Ben Nwabueze, and people of goodwill nationwide in commending President Muhammadu Buhari for accepting to consider the release of held leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

“I also appeal to IPOB to support Nigeria President of Igbo extraction 2023 project. Methinks IPOB support will kill two birds with one stone,” Okechukwu submitted.

News Express reports that Igbo leaders led by the First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi, had recently visited Buhari in the Aso Presidential Villa, where they requested the President to release the IPOB leader, who was intercepted in Kenya in June this year.

Kanu had fled Nigeria in 2017, jumping bail after his Afaraukwu home in Abia State was invaded by soldiers. He is being tried for alleged treason.

Responding the Igbo leaders’ plea, Buhari had told them: “You’ve made an extremely difficult demand on me as leader of this country. The implication of your request is very serious. In the last six years since I became president, nobody would say I have confronted or interfered in the work of the Judiciary . . . I said that the best thing was to subject him to the system. Let him make his case in court, instead of giving very negative impressions of the country from the outside. I feel it’s even a favour to give him that opportunity.”

Asked if IPOB support for Nigeria president of Igbo extraction 2023 project is a precondition for the release of Kanu, Okechukwu said “Capital No”.

“Capital No, it is not a precondition, all am saying is that Mr President and host of other Nigerians are silently in support of Nigeria president of Igbo extraction 2023 project, but are weary and reticent of IPOB stance. Therefore, in my little opinion, IPOB support of our project will kill two birds with one stone,” Okechukwu replied.

Prodded further, Okechukwu explained that one stone is the release of Kanu, another is the return of economic activities in our geopolitical zone “and thirdly IPOB support will no doubt rekindle wider support of Nigeria president of Igbo extraction 2023 project.”

“My understanding of IPOB agitation is to end Igbo marginalization; if that’s the case then our 2023 Nigeria President of Igbo extraction will be the end of the civil war. Nigerians are waiting for IPOB to change gear,” the VON DG said.