Onitsha, Anambra State – Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has publicly declared that he opposes the agenda for Igbo secession and reaffirmed his belief that the Igbo people and Nigeria are interdependent. Speaking on a national television programme on Sunday, Soludo said the ideals of a separatist movement do not align with his vision for the South-East region.
“I believe very strongly that the agitation for an independent Igbo nation is not where I stand,” Soludo told viewers. “I am of the view that the Igbo man needs Nigeria and Nigeria needs the Igbo man. I am of the view that the Igbo man needs Africa and Africa needs the Igbo man.
The governor further called for a broad, inclusive dialogue involving all voices in the Igbo land, including those advocating for secession. “We will all sit down and debate: Are we better off inside Nigeria or outside it? We are all Igbos, and we are all entitled to our views,” he said.
While reaffirming his respect for the right to protest, Soludo stated his primary duty lies in governance. “As for those who are agitating or going to have demonstrations, they have a right to do so. But mine is to govern.
The governor’s comments come amid heightened agitation in the South-East region over the detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and the push by some groups for an independent Biafran state. His position signals a preference for finding the region’s future path within the fabric of Nigeria rather than through outright secession.