APC Chieftain Urges Tinubu to Grant Nnamdi Kanu State Pardon

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince John Klinsmann, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, a state pardon as a gesture of reconciliation and national healing.

In a statement released from Stockholm, Sweden, on Tuesday, Klinsmann described Tinubu as “a leader with a heart of gold” whose politics is defined by compassion and inclusiveness. He said freeing Kanu would demonstrate true statesmanship and reinforce the President’s vision of national unity.

“At a time when Nigeria is navigating sensitive political and ethnic divides, the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would mark a bold step toward healing and restoring confidence among the people of the South-East,” Klinsmann said.

He pointed out that Tinubu’s recent decision to pardon several political detainees had already shown his spirit of mercy and leadership. According to him, extending the same gesture to Kanu would further strengthen peace and trust across the country.

Klinsmann also cited court rulings questioning the legality of Kanu’s prolonged detention and urged the President to use his constitutional powers under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution to resolve the issue.

“Releasing Nnamdi Kanu will not be a show of weakness but of visionary leadership. It will help ease tensions in the South-East, boost economic activities in cities like Onitsha and Aba, and rebuild investor confidence in the region,” he stated.

He further appealed to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and activist Omoyele Sowore to suspend their planned protest to Aso Rock, warning that demonstrations could be hijacked by criminal elements.

Klinsmann advised Nigerians to channel their grievances through peaceful dialogue and institutional engagement rather than street protests.

Highlighting President Tinubu’s development projects in the South-East, including the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and the newly established South-East Development Commission (SEDC), he said these initiatives reflect the President’s goodwill toward the region.

He concluded by calling for a National Reconciliation and Integration Forum to promote unity among Nigeria’s diverse groups. “President Tinubu should write his name in gold by granting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a presidential pardon — not as a favour to one man, but as a gift to the nation,” he said.