The governor said this while appearing on Channels TV’s Politics Today, on Thursday evening, where he answered questions about his appeal for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The PUNCH reported that Soludo had written to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), earlier in the week asking for the unconditional release of the IPOB leader who has been in detention since 2021.
The Anambra State governor had added that if the detained IPOB leader could not be released unconditionally, he (Kanu) should be released to him, saying he was ready to stand surety.
However, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had responded to the governor, saying that there was no official letter from Soludo to that effect.
Speaking on the programme, the governor said the AGF would receive an official letter in a few days, adding that the release of Kanu was crucial to the conversation regarding the insecurity in the South-East.
Soludo, who appreciated the FG’s intervention in the South-East crises through its kinetic approach, noted that the non-kinetic approach had to be explored to complement the efforts of the security forces. He added that without the sustained security of the region, there could not be sustained prosperity.
“He would receive that letter in a few days’ time. And I’m very serious about this, because it is not just something personal, it’s not about Chukwuma Charles Soludo, it’s not about me or governance. It is about the lives, security, and prosperity of the entire South-East.
“See, we need to be serious and get into this conversation. We want this election to go peacefully in the South-East. We want everybody to participate. We want peace and security to return. We want long term transformation of this place for us to become very secured and prosperous component or Nigeria. But you need all the stakeholders around the table.
“Now, I thank the President for his assistance to the security agencies, with what they call the kinetic approach. You know, the force, the shooting, the military, all the armed forces and security forces, they have been doing a great job in helping us. But we need to bring this thing to a sustainable conclusion. Shooting is one way of solving it. The non-kinetic approach is what would also complement this, and we want this thing to be fast tracked in a manner to bring it to a close.
“There is someone who is critical in this conversation. We need him around the table, because we also believe since he’s, I mean coming from this part of the country, things we hear about the agitations, tell us that they are also concerned about the prosperity of the South-East. But we cannot have sustainable prosperity, if we do not have sustainable security, and to have that sustainable security we need the critical forces around the table.”
Soludo concluded by saying that he would continue to push for Kanu’s release, adding that he believed that other leaders in the region would join the call, even as he reiterated that he wanted the prosperity of the South-East, and that the region should participate in the coming elections.
