Abia State Governor Alex Otti has intensified efforts to secure the release of detained IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, following a strategic visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after visiting Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
According to the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the governor’s trip to Aso Rock was solely to discuss Kanu’s continued detention and explore pathways toward resolving the long-running issue.
Ekeoma disclosed that the meeting with President Tinubu was “positive and fruitful,” describing the President as gracious and open during the discussions. He noted that the latest engagement builds on two years of sustained dialogue between Governor Otti and the Federal Government on the matter.
The governor’s persistence, Ekeoma stressed, is not driven by political considerations. He clarified that Otti neither used Kanu’s name during his 2023 campaign nor needs to leverage it for future political advantage ahead of 2027. Instead, he believes that addressing the legal and political concerns surrounding Kanu’s conviction is essential for achieving lasting peace, strengthening security and promoting reconciliation across the South-East.
Governor Otti’s renewed push comes amid growing calls from regional leaders, civil society groups and traditional institutions urging the Federal Government to adopt restorative approaches in handling the IPOB leader’s case. His latest visit to the President signals what observers see as a potentially decisive phase in the long-running attempt to broker a resolution that could ease tensions and foster healing in the region.
