Former Imo State Governor Senator Rochas Okorocha has called on the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as a fitting tribute to the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah. Okorocha voiced his appeal during a night of tribute held in honor of Ubah on Monday at the Nigerian Air Force Conference & Suites in Abuja.
Reflecting on Ubah’s legacy, Okorocha mentioned that the senator had previously echoed a similar request to the government as the late Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. Addressing Senate President Godswill Akpabio, he urged that the best way to honor Ubah’s memory would be through Kanu’s release, which he said would allow the Igbo community to find unity and peace. “To you, my brother, Senate President,” Okorocha said, “convey this message on behalf of these Igbos present, that the release of Nnamdi Kanu would allow the Igbo people to come together and heal.”
Okorocha also spoke passionately about the need for the Igbo community to set aside differences and avoid divisive politics, emphasizing a message of unity and peace. Reflecting on Igbo leaders of the past, he envisioned the late leaders, including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Alex Ekwueme, holding a spiritual meeting to address the need for harmony among the Igbos. He expressed the hope that Igbo people would learn from the reconciliations of past leaders, remarking, “Now they see their quarrels as vanity, urging us to seek peace.”
The tribute event gathered many prominent figures from Nigeria’s political landscape, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President Akpabio, and former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki. Family, friends, and colleagues joined to remember Ubah, who served as a senator for the Anambra South Senatorial District until his passing in London in July at 52 years old. Ubah, a businessman and politician, would have turned 53 on September 3, 2024. His final farewell is scheduled for Friday, November 22, 2024.
