As Nigeria draws closer to May 29, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Wednesday, issued four demands the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, must meet to pacify Igbos.
Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said Tinubu should release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, unconditionally.
Isiguzoro said releasing Kanu would restore peace and security in the Southeast.
He noted that Tinubu must ensure the Southeast produces the next Senate President of Nigeria.
Speaking with News Men, the Ohanaeze chieftain said Tinubu must ensure the actualization of the sixth state in the Southeast.
According to Isiguzoro: “Tinubu is a progressive, he’s a strategist; Tinubu’s government would not be like Buhari’s government.
“The only problem Tinubu has is age on his side, and most of the people who made Buhari not to succeed are queuing behind him because of some of the challenges he’s having following the 2023 election.
“Tinubu must pacify the Southeast with four charter of demands for the region to accept him as President of Nigeria, and for Ndigbos to stand tall and defend his mandate.
“The first is that Tinubu must unconditionally restore peace and security by releasing Nnamdi Kanu, whether he would grant him a presidential pardon from the Eagles Square during his acceptance speech or use the power of the presidency to get him released to restore peace and security in the Southeast.
“Secondly, Tinubu must start the healing process by ensuring that he balances the Muslim-Muslim ticket by giving a Christian from the Southeast the president of the senate. Whoever would be the Senate President must not be ranking Senators who don’t have the character to protect the interest of the country.
“We are calling on the senate to amend their rules and allow first-timers because those who are ranking Senators have dubious characters and can’t represent the interest of Ndigbos.
“Thirdly, Tinubu must put political structures on the ground to ensure that Ndigbo feel the promise that Buhari made to us secretly that he would ensure the region gets a sixth state; Ohanaeze already has a plan for it.
“The President-elect must ensure that all the economic gateways across the country including the reopening of the Calabar wharf, dredging of the Azumiri River, granting IPOB members amnesty, and compensating families killed over the years.”