Leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has declared his support for genuine restructuring in Nigeria along the lines of the 1963 Constitution.
Speaking through his younger brother, Prince Emmanuel, after a meeting at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS), Kanu said that a holistic restructuring is essential for the country’s progress.
Kanu stated, “We are not averse to the genuine restructuring of the country. We know that the country cannot grow or make progress under the current unworkable unitary structure.”
He maintained his demand for a referendum to determine whether the people of Biafra would like to remain part of Nigeria or pursue independence unless opponents of holistic restructuring repent.
He added that: “Our position remains the same as our submission in the presence of Prof. Ben Nwabueze, and Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko on 30th August 2017, at the meeting with the South-East State governors in Enugu. We have no reason to add or subtract from our position six years ago.
“We reiterate that we are not opposed to a consensual but wholesome restructuring of the country along the 1963 Constitution”.
Blaming those who disrupted a 2017 attempt by the Federal Government to reach a truce with him, Kanu pointed out that their actions contributed to the current insecurity in the South-East.
He outlined conditions for true reconciliation, including the rebuilding of the grossly marginalised South-East and the entire ‘Biafra-land’, and the establishment of critical infrastructure such as a viable commercial seaport and functional cargo international airport in the region.
He stressed the need for fairness, justice, and equality and reiterated the demand for a referendum as long as those opposing the restructuring of the country persist.
The IPOB leader, currently in detention at the DSS headquarters since his abduction from Kenya in June 2021, has consistently pursued the restoration of Biafra Republic through non-violent means.
Despite appeals for his release, the Supreme Court, on December 15, 2023, refused to affirm earlier court judgments ordering his immediate and unconditional release.
