The Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Digital Force, Pharmacist Ikeagwuonwu Chinedu Klinsmann, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider granting a state pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
He said such an act would reflect the President’s commitment to unity and national healing.
In a statement released on Tuesday from Stockholm, Sweden, Klinsmann praised Tinubu as “a compassionate and inclusive leader” whose politics prioritises peace and cohesion.
He said that releasing Kanu would not only showcase the President’s statesmanship but also strengthen the administration’s drive for renewed national harmony.
Call for unity and healing
According to him, Nigeria is currently navigating through ethnic and political tensions, and freeing Kanu would serve as a symbolic move to bridge divisions and rebuild trust among citizens, particularly in the South-East region.
Klinsmann also pointed out that the President’s recent pardon of several political detainees and convicts demonstrated his willingness to promote reconciliation.
He urged Tinubu to extend the same gesture to Kanu, describing it as “a gesture that would affirm the government’s dedication to dialogue, peace, and inclusivity.”
He reminded Nigerians that following the death of Pope Francis, he had once appealed to President Tinubu to take advantage of what he called a “divine opportunity for forgiveness” by ordering Kanu’s release in honour of the late pontiff’s message of mercy.
Appeal to constitutional authority
The APC Digital Force boss further referenced court decisions that questioned the legality of Kanu’s prolonged detention.
He, therefore, appealed to Tinubu to exercise his constitutional powers under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution to grant a state pardon.
“Freeing Nnamdi Kanu will not signify weakness but rather demonstrate vision and courage,” he said, stressing that it would ease tensions in the South-East, revive business activities in major commercial hubs such as Onitsha, Aba, and Enugu, and boost investor confidence in the area.
Warning against planned protest
Klinsmann also advised the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and activist Omoyele Sowore to suspend their planned protest at Aso Rock, cautioning that such demonstrations could be exploited by troublemakers.
He recalled the experience of the #EndSARS movement, noting that although it began peacefully, it later descended into chaos and destruction. “We cannot afford to repeat such painful experiences,” he warned.