The Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Digital Force, Ikeagwuonwu Klinsmann, has urged President Bola Tinubu to grant a state pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in the spirit of national reconciliation and renewed hope for unity.
Klinsmann made this appeal in a statement issued from Stockholm, Sweden, on Tuesday, describing President Tinubu as a leader with a heart of gold whose political philosophy is anchored on compassion, inclusiveness, and national unity.
The party stalwart explained that releasing Kanu would demonstrate true statesmanship and promote the president’s vision of mending divisions across Nigeria.
“At a time when Nigeria is navigating sensitive political and ethnic fault lines, the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would represent a bold step toward healing the scars of division and restoring confidence among the people of the South-East,” Klinsmann said.
He noted that the President’s recent move to pardon several convicts and political detainees had already reflected his spirit of magnanimity and leadership.
Klinsmann recalled that following the death of Pope Francis, he had earlier encouraged President Tinubu to seize the opportunity as a divine moment for reconciliation by releasing Kanu in honour of the Pope’s dedication to mercy and forgiveness.
He also cited judicial rulings questioning the legality of Kanu’s continued detention and appealed to the President to invoke his constitutional authority under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution.
“Releasing Nnamdi Kanu through a state pardon will not be an act of weakness but of visionary leadership. It will calm tensions in the Southeast, revitalise trade in cities like Onitsha, Aba, and Enugu, and restore investor confidence in the region,” Klinsmann stated.
