Biafra: Ohanaeze Blasts Umahi For Claiming To Have Initiated Nnamdi Kanu’s Release With Buhari

The youth arm of the Ohanaeze group, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has disagreed with Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi over his recent claims that he has opened talks with President Muhammadu Buhari for a political resolution of Nnamdi Kanu’s case.

This comes after Umahi claimed talks are ongoing with President Buhari to find a political solution to the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

He also assured the Igbo people that Nnamdi Kanu has not been abandoned and will soon regain his freedom from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

But the OYC under the leadership of Igboayaka O. Igboayaka in a statement on Friday accused Umahi of attempting to score cheap political points with the claim.

The Ohanaeze youth group added that the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor led other prominent Igbo personalities to negotiate the release of Kanu and not Umahi as claimed.

The statement added that Umahi had openly rejected IPOB during a previous meeting in Enugu wondering why he’s now claiming to be the ‘messiah’ for Kanu.

“Governor David Umahi might be looking for a soft landing to appeal to Ndigbo and IPOB over reckless treatment coated with executive impunity as Ebonyi State Governor. And coming out suddenly to score a cheap political goal in the release of Nnamdi Kanu is very untrue and childish,” the group stated.

“Those at the helm of affairs of a political solution to Nnamdi Kanu’s case have not taken it to the media space, they are engaging in a lasting solution to the crisis that has erupted in the country for over seven years of IPOB’s struggle for self-determination. Unfortunately, on June 19, 2021, in Enugu State, the same Governor David Umahi chaired a meeting wherein IPOB was publicly rejected by those who claimed to be Igbo leaders.

“Governor David Umahi ought to know that all his discriminatory communique signed by him against Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are in our archive and in the book of remembrance. The claim by Ebonyi Governor of interfacing to release of Nnamdi Kanu at Abakaliki on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, has summarized the Igbo adage, “Nwoke luchaa ogu, nwanyi enwere akuko”. Therefore, Umahi should look for something else through which he can gain favour from Ndigbo and not to lay claims to glory of Kanu’s release process.

“I can authentically and authoritatively inform our people that every strategic and tactical effort has been made on the release of Nnamdi Kanu by Obiozor without any political interest but basically on his personal conviction as a true Igbo man and his constitutional duty as the number one citizen of the Igbo nation.”

OYC, therefore, called on members of the public not to be hoodwinked by the attempt of Governor Umahi to claim the glory in the struggle for the IPOB leader’s release.

“I appeal to Igbo youths over the globe who may be provoked by Governor David Umahi’s self-glory to remain peaceful and calm and assist in finding a political solution to Nnamdi Kanu’s case by acting within the framework of the law”.