Abia State APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Chief Eric Opah, has firmly and categorically denied ever making a promise to secure the release of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from prison — setting the record straight in a clear and unambiguous statement that addresses what he described as a dangerous misrepresentation of his position on the highly sensitive and politically charged issue.
Chief Opah stated emphatically that at no point in his campaigns, public statements, or private engagements did he make any commitment — explicit or implied — to use his position as a future governor of Abia State to facilitate or advocate for Kanu’s release from detention.
The APC governorship candidate described the claim as a deliberate falsehood being circulated by political opponents and mischief makers seeking to damage his reputation, misrepresent his political agenda, and create unnecessary controversy around his governorship campaign at a time when he is focused entirely on presenting a credible vision for the transformation of Abia State.
Opah stressed that the question of Nnamdi Kanu’s detention and potential release is a federal matter — one that lies entirely within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, the judiciary, and relevant national security institutions — and is therefore completely outside the powers and responsibilities of a state governor, regardless of their personal sentiments on the issue.
He emphasised that his governorship agenda is squarely focused on truth, accountability, transparency, job creation, infrastructure development, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment, security, and prudent management of Abia State’s enormous resources — not on matters that fall exclusively within the federal domain.
“I have never promised to release Nnamdi Kanu. That claim is false and those spreading it know it is false. My focus is on rescuing Abia State from propaganda-driven governance and delivering real development to our people,” Opah declared firmly.
The APC candidate urged Abians to disregard the misinformation and focus on the real issues at stake in the 2027 governorship election — warning that the deliberate injection of the Kanu issue into his campaign is a political distraction tactic designed to derail serious conversation about governance, accountability, and development in Abia State.
Opah’s clarification comes amid heightened national conversation around Kanu’s continued detention — following former presidential candidate Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies’ recent call on President Tinubu to consider the IPOB leader’s release as a step toward national reconciliation and de-escalation of insecurity in the South-East.
Political observers note that in the emotionally charged political environment of Abia State and the broader South-East, any perceived association with the Kanu release issue carries enormous political weight — making Opah’s swift and emphatic denial a necessary and strategically important clarification for his governorship campaign.
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