Biafra Day: We need structured national dialogue on Igbo question — Soludo

By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA — Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has called for a structured national conversation on the place of the Igbo in Nigeria, urging stakeholders to embrace intellectual engagement and constructive dialogue rather than agitation.

Soludo made the call during a stage performance titled The Tale of Two Nnamdis, written by Tobe Osigwe and presented by students of the Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), at the Government House, Awka.

The governor’s remarks coincided with the May 30 Biafra remembrance anniversary, often observed by pro-Biafra groups.

Expressing concern over what he described as the absence of a coordinated intellectual discourse on the challenges confronting the Igbo and their position within the Nigerian federation, Soludo urged a shift from agitation to evidence-based and structured engagement.

Commending the students for initiating discussions on the subject, he said: “I was at UNN last month and recalled that the Biafran war was literally declared there. I am glad that young people are now leading the way by insisting that this conversation must begin in a structured manner.

“I saw the war very clearly. I am a Pan-Africanist and a proud Nigerian. Ndi Igbo need Nigerians, Nigerians need Ndi Igbo, just as we all need the wider world. Our prosperity will accelerate if we take advantage of a larger space.”

The governor cautioned against methods of agitation such as the prolonged sit-at-home protests, arguing that such actions often inflict economic and social hardship on the people they are intended to protect.

Drawing from personal experience, Soludo recounted the impact of the Nigerian Civil War on his family, revealing that his mother died during the conflict, while his father lived with a bullet wound for 11 years after the war.

While acknowledging the right of individuals to hold differing views, he stressed the need for dialogue, negotiation and political engagement, citing the example of Nigeria’s first President, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

“Zik taught us the politics of bargaining. He negotiated and engaged during the First and Second Republics, and that remains an enduring lesson,” he said.

Soludo also raised concerns over what he described as a contradiction in the political aspirations of the Igbo, questioning how the region could seek the presidency while simultaneously expressing doubts about the Nigerian project.

“It is true that Ndi Igbo want the presidency, but that paradox must be addressed. As a people, where do we stand? How can you govern a people when their position is unclear?” he asked.

The governor reiterated his readiness to participate in a broad-based dialogue on the Igbo question and said he was willing to engage all groups, including those aligned with the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

He stressed the need for tolerance of opposing views and pledged support for any initiative that promotes a civil and intellectual conversation on the future of the Igbo in Nigeria.

“Any group that advances the conversation on the Igbo question in Nigeria through civil and intellectual engagement will have our support. The beauty of our republican nature is that you cannot force your way through; you must engage,” Soludo said.

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