The Federal Government says it is open to discussing the possible release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), but has rejected any attempt to link the matter with political support from the South East.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, made this known while speaking with journalists in Lagos on Friday evening, amid growing speculation that Kanu’s continued detention might affect Tinubu’s political standing in the region.
“We are willing to negotiate his release, but no one should make it a condition because the President did not put him there,” Umahi stated.
He pushed back against claims suggesting the South East is using Kanu’s case as leverage to extract political favours or pledges, stressing that Tinubu had no role in Kanu’s incarceration and that conversations around his release should be separated from electoral calculations.
Umahi praised Tinubu’s style of leadership and called him a “listening leader,” expressing hope that the IPOB leader would eventually regain his freedom, but only through “divine grace and dialogue.” “President Tinubu may not be perfect, but he is doing most things right. Look at where he picked up the economy from. The international community has confidence in his reforms. That is why we are getting support for our projects,” he said.
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Umahi also took a moment to applaud the president’s ongoing infrastructure projects in the South East, adding that many of them were ignored by past administrations. He argued that those accusing Tinubu of marginalising the region in federal appointments were being unfair. According to him, the current administration had already done more for the South East than most previous governments.
“Let those criticising the President show us what they have done for the country,” he declared.
Despite his growing visibility in national politics, Umahi clarified he would not be seeking the presidency in 2027. Instead, he pledged loyalty to Tinubu and committed to working for his re-election. “I will not run. I will work for my boss, President Tinubu. APC is the path to achieving what we want. The South East now has a voice at the centre. We will not return to Egypt,” he said.
He urged political figures in the region to set aside party differences and cooperate with the federal government, claiming that even governors from opposition parties are working closely with Tinubu for the benefit of the zone.
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