Former National President of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and ex-chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC), Dr. Leo Zenumor, has accused South-East governors of betraying the region by refusing to take a firm and united stance on the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Speaking in an exclusive interview monitored by Symfoni News, Dr. Zenumor said the silence and political timidity of the region’s governors amount to “moral cowardice” and a “betrayal of collective trust.”
“The South-East governors have failed their people. None of them has the courage to demand Kanu’s release,” he declared.
“They hide behind political calculations while their brother remains unjustly detained despite clear court orders.”
According to Dr. Zenumor, Nnamdi Kanu’s prolonged detention—despite multiple court rulings ordering his release—has exposed the federal government’s disregard for the rule of law and the judiciary’s growing weakness in the face of executive power.
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He argued that the Buhari administration laid the foundation for this judicial impunity, and that the Tinubu government has chosen to continue the same pattern of defiance.
“Buhari disobeyed the court, and Tinubu is continuing the same illegality. What then is the difference between dictatorship and democracy?” he asked.
“A man cannot be kept in detention perpetually just because he spoke for his people. Justice delayed is no longer just denied—it is buried.”
Zenumor noted that several prominent political detainees in Nigeria’s history, including those from the North, were either released or granted political rehabilitation, but the South-East has been treated differently.
“We saw what happened with terrorists in the North—they were given amnesty. But when it comes to a man from the South-East, the rules suddenly change,” he said.
South-East Governors Silent on Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
Dr. Zenumor said the Southeast governors have deliberately avoided the Kanu issue for fear of offending President Tinubu or being branded as sympathizers of secession.
“These governors are afraid of losing federal support and political patronage,” he said. “Their silence is not ignorance—it’s self-preservation.”
He argued that, collectively, the South-East governors have more influence than they pretend to have, and that a united front from the five governors could have forced a reconsideration of Kanu’s case long ago.
“If all the South-East governors marched to Aso Rock tomorrow to demand Kanu’s release, it would shake the system,” Zenumor insisted. “But they won’t, because they are hostages to political fear.”
He described their attitude as “a disgrace to the legacy of Eastern courage and integrity,” warning that the people’s confidence in their leaders has collapsed.
“The people no longer trust their governors because they see them as willing tools of oppression,” he added.
Dr. Zenumor clarified that his defense of Kanu’s release is not about endorsing IPOB’s separatist ideology but about defending the principle of justice and equal rights under the law.
“Kanu has become a symbol—beyond IPOB—of resistance to injustice,” he said. “You don’t have to agree with his methods to recognize that what is being done to him is unconstitutional.”
He said the Southeast’s political elite have failed to manage the emotional and political tension caused by Kanu’s incarceration, allowing it to fester into anger, disillusionment, and apathy among the youth.
“The governors had a chance to mediate, to heal, and to unite the people. Instead, they chose silence and selfishness,” Zenumor said.
Dr. Zenumor also warned President Bola Tinubu that continuing to ignore lawful orders on Kanu’s release could erode what little moral credibility remains of his government.
“Tinubu is losing a historic opportunity to prove he is a democrat,” he said.
“This government talks about unity, but how can there be unity when one region feels targeted and silenced?”
He urged the President to release Kanu as a gesture of national reconciliation, arguing that it would calm rising separatist sentiments and strengthen Nigeria’s fragile democracy.
“Freeing Kanu won’t weaken Nigeria; it will heal it. Justice is the strongest form of unity,” he said.
Dr. Zenumor called on ordinary citizens, civil society, and Southeast traditional leaders to step up where the governors have failed.
“The people must not wait for their governors,” he said. “Freedom is not given—it is demanded. Until Nigerians stop tolerating oppression, bad leaders will keep recycling themselves.”
He warned that continued silence from both the political class and the citizenry would embolden future governments to trample on citizens’ rights without consequence.
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“Today it’s Nnamdi Kanu; tomorrow it could be anyone,” he cautioned.
In what he described as a call to conscience, Dr. Zenumor urged all Southeast leaders to “find their voices” and stand for justice, not convenience.
“History remembers those who spoke up, not those who stayed safe,” he concluded.
“If the South-East must reclaim its dignity, its leaders must first reclaim their courage.”
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