Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has distanced himself from separatist agitation in the South-East, stating that the Igbo people’s progress and prosperity are intrinsically linked to the unity of Nigeria.

 

 

 

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday night, October 19, 2025, the former Central Bank Governor clarified his stance: while he respects the democratic right to protest, he does not endorse the secessionist ideology led by Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

 

 

Governor Soludo strongly condemned the crippling effects of the enforced Monday sit-at-home order. “We’ve made it very clear that if you are protesting or agitating for anything, you are holding yourself down by killing your own people under the pretext of Monday’s sit-at-home,” he said. He credited improved security and public awareness in Anambra for effectively ending the directive, noting that anyone remaining indoors now does so by choice, “not because of insecurity.”

 

 

 

The Governor acknowledged that the IPOB leadership, including Kanu himself, has disowned the Monday sit-at-home, blaming “criminal elements” for exploiting the directive to unleash terror.

 

 

 

While affirming that his duty is governance, not activism, Soludo called for collective leadership on the issue. He revealed that he has urged the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other South-East leaders to engage Kanu in a direct dialogue upon his release, stressing that the region’s future should be shaped by all Igbos, not dictated by any single individual.

 

 

 

Soludo passionately reaffirmed his conviction that the Igbo interest is best served within a united and integrated Nigeria.

 

 

 

“I am of the view that the Igbo man needs Nigeria and Nigeria needs the Igbo man… We are an itinerant people who cannot afford to be intolerant. That’s my view,” he declared, adding that the nation’s diversity was “divinely ordained.”

 

 

 

His remarks come amid renewed nationwide calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow campaign has gained support from opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and activist Omoyele Sowore, who have planned a peaceful protest in Abuja.