Rt. Hon. Rikki Nwajiofor, the Honourable Speaker of the Ndigbo Youth Parliament (NYP), has warmly commended HRH Amb. Dr. Lawrence O. C. Agubuzu, Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, for his courageous and forthright appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health held yesterday at the State House, Abuja.
In his goodwill message delivered directly to President Tinubu, Eze Agubuzu passionately urged the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), warning that his prolonged detention continues to fuel youth agitation across the South-East and undermines the relevance of traditional institutions in the region.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Hon. Speaker of Ndigbo Youth Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rikki Nwajiofor, “the intervention of HRH Amb. Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu – Eze Ogbunechendo is a powerful, truthful, timely, and patriotic call that resonates deeply with the Igbo community and echoes the deep frustrations of Ndigbo, underscoring the urgent need for equity and national healing”.
“Ndigbo Youth Parliament’s voice aligns fully with that of HRH Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, as we earnestly appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to grant Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a speedy presidential pardon. Such an act of statesmanship would immediately soothe the frayed nerves of agitating youths in Ala Igbo, restore calm to the region, and firmly entrench a genuine sense of belonging among Ndigbo as integral and bona fide citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“There is this widespread sentiment among the majority of Ndigbo: while Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), often regarded as a Yoruba counterpart to Nnamdi Kanu in regional self-determination advocacy, now walks freely and is reportedly set to receive a prestigious traditional title in Yorubaland, Kanu’s continued incarceration in Sokoto prison appears as stark marginalization and unequal treatment.
“We firmly believe that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is a committed man of equity, determined to eradicate every perception or reality of marginalization affecting any ethnic nationality in Nigeria. He exemplified this unmatched charisma in his creation of various regional development commissions. Granting this all-important presidential pardon would be a landmark step towards entrenching lasting peace, national unity, and inclusive progress for all.”
Rt. Hon. Nwajiofor reiterated some of Eze Agubuzu’s most salient statements, which he said have resonated widely:
“The ball stops on your court. Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, return him to Kenya or London, where they took him from.”
“Please do something about this. We cannot make progress in this country if we don’t tell ourselves the truth.”
