• Governor’s Sokoto prison visit sparks fresh political, legal manoeuvres
• Presidency tight-lipped as South-East leaders intensify push
NaijaNews has taken to its online handle and announced that, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja—an engagement insiders describe as highly strategic and directly linked to the growing national agitation for the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Although the Presidency offered no official briefing on the purpose of the meeting, impeccable sources told Vanguard that discussions “strongly revolved around the political and security implications” of Kanu’s continued incarceration, as well as new options being explored to secure a negotiated resolution.
The meeting comes barely days after Governor Otti embarked on a high-profile visit to the Sokoto prison facility where Kanu is serving a life sentence following his conviction on terrorism-related charges on November 20, 2025.
Otti’s visit—described by officials as both symbolic and strategic—was part of a coordinated political, diplomatic, and legal blueprint quietly driving renewed efforts to bring the long-running case to a close.
The Abia Governor was accompanied by a powerful delegation that included Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu; the Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN); his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma; and senior officials of the Sokoto State Government, who facilitated access to the detention facility.
Governor Otti, who has been vocal about the need for a lasting, lawful resolution to the matter, reaffirmed after the visit that the strategy to secure Kanu’s release remains fully active.
> “While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I’m pleased to inform you that I have activated—and will continue to pursue—the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured,” Otti said through his media aide.
With Otti’s meeting at Aso Rock, observers say the push for Kanu’s release has now entered a critical phase, placing the issue squarely before President Tinubu at a time when national unity, regional harmony, and political stability remain major priorities for the administration.
As consultations deepen, all eyes are now on the Presidency to see what next steps will be taken in one of Nigeria’s most sensitive and consequential legal-political battles.
PIONEER NEWS 