The governorship candidate of the Action People’s Party, APP, in Abia State, Gen. Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma (retd.), has vowed to pursue the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader, Nnamdi Kanu, if elected governor in 2027.
Ijioma, a former Director of Military Operations in the Northeast, made the declaration at a press conference in Umuahia ahead of the commencement of the governorship campaign.
He described Kanu’s continued detention as unacceptable, promising to deploy legal, political and social avenues available to him to seek his release.
“I speak without any fear of equivocation, when I become the governor of Abia State, I will compel the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu,” Ijioma said.
He said he would commit his time and the resources of the state towards pursuing the matter through lawful channels.
According to him, Kanu’s case goes beyond individual liberty, arguing that it raises broader questions about justice and the rule of law.
“Nnamdi Kanu will not remain in prison with me as governor of Abia State. Because first and foremost, he is a citizen of Abia State where I will be presiding as governor,” he said.
Ijioma also condemned what he described as the Federal Government’s maltreatment of Kanu, alleging that the IPOB leader was being treated differently because of his Igbo background.
“I condemn in its totality the maltreatment the Federal Government has meted out to Nnamdi Kanu and by extension to us as Igbo people. They are doing it to him because he is from Igbo extraction. There is no other reason,” he alleged.
The APP candidate recalled that during the administration of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, he approached the state government with proposals on how it could intervene and engage the Federal Government over Kanu’s detention.
He also compared Kanu’s case with that of other separatist and insurgent figures, questioning what he described as inconsistencies in the government’s handling of such cases.
“There is nothing Nnamdi Kanu did that Sunday Igboho, agitating for Oduduwa Republic, didn’t do two times. There is nothing Nnamdi Kanu has done that Boko Haram leaders that we captured and the Federal Government released them haven’t done,” he said.
Ijioma Promises To Outperform Otti
Ijioma also pledged to outperform the incumbent Governor Alex Otti if elected, particularly in infrastructure and other sectors of the state’s economy.
“I will outperform Otti when I’m elected. So, if Abia people want progress and they say Otti has performed, they should wait until I come,” he said.
The retired general said he had developed a 23-point manifesto, which he described as his “compact with Abia people”.
He promised to make accountability and direct communication with citizens key features of his administration.
Ijioma said he would establish a dedicated channel through which residents could reach him directly and promised to respond to citizens regardless of their social status.
“If a mechanic calls me, I will answer. In fact, I will have a line and dedicate it that the people of Abia State can call me directly and I will speak to them,” he said.
He added that a governor should be regarded as a servant of the people rather than their boss.
‘Power And Intimidation Have Limits’
Reacting to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, Ijioma said the outcome demonstrated that incumbency and political intimidation could not guarantee electoral victory.
“The lesson from that Osun State election is that power and intimidation have their limits. You saw the grandstanding of the APC in Osun State. Let the people choose their leaders,” he said.
He warned the All Progressives Congress, APC, against repeating the mistakes of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which once dominated Nigeria’s political landscape.
Ijioma recalled the PDP’s former dominance, arguing that the party’s subsequent decline should serve as a lesson to the APC.
“The APC is falling into the same snare that the PDP didn’t learn from. If you like, let the 36 state governors be APC candidates at the election, the voice of the people is the voice of God,” he said.
‘2027 Election Won’t Be Won On Social Media’
The APP candidate also dismissed attempts to project the Otti administration as a high-performing government through social media.
He insisted that the 2027 governorship election would ultimately be determined by voters and not online narratives.
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“Election in 2027 will not be won by social media. Not the social media,” Ijioma declared.
He alleged that the Otti administration was already apprehensive about the election because its claims of performance would face scrutiny.sßx do thx
“The governor of Abia is already in a panic mode. The facts contradict the claims of super performance,” he alleged.
Ijioma Cites Abia Charter Of Equity
Ijioma also based his governorship ambition on the Abia Charter of Equity, arguing that the principle of rotational leadership was violated by Otti’s emergence from Abia Central in the 2023 election.
He argued that Abia North had been excluded from producing a governor for an extended period despite what he described as the established rotational arrangement.
“Today, 2026, is 19 years that nobody from Abia North Senatorial District has governed. Is that not a fact?” he asked.
Ijioma maintained that the principle of equity should have favoured Abia North in 2023, arguing that the absence of candidates from the zone on other party platforms did not prevent him from contesting.
“If nobody from Abia North stepped forward from other parties to buy form to contest for governorship, does that presuppose that nobody should step forward?” he asked.
Promises Greater Public Scrutiny
Ijioma pledged to subject his administration to public scrutiny if elected, saying citizens would have access to the government and be able to question its policies and spending.
He reiterated that a governor should serve the people rather than exercise authority over them.
The APP candidate, however, commended Otti for approving N25 million for the medical treatment of Nollywood actress Ngozi Nwosu.
He described the intervention as commendable but promised to do more in the area of social welfare if elected.
Ijioma urged Abians to scrutinise government expenditure and assess candidates based on verifiable achievements and policies rather than political propaganda ahead of the 2027 governorship election.