The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Abia State, Eric Opah, has denied a report spreading on social media that he promised to secure the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu if elected governor in 2027.
The viral post claimed that the Abia APC man Opah had said he would free Nnamdi Kanu once he becomes governor, a statement that quickly gained attention online and sparked reactions among users.
In response, his campaign organization dismissed the claim as false.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign, Eric Ikwuagwu, said Opah never made such a statement in any form, either in public or private discussions.
He explained that the story was created by individuals trying to cause confusion and damage the candidate’s reputation.
He added that the campaign is focused on issues affecting the people of Abia State and not on political distractions.
The campaign team also urged members of the public and supporters to ignore the report, calling it fake news intended to stir unnecessary controversy.
Nnamdi Kanu is currently serving a life imprisonment sentence. This follows his conviction on terrorism-related charges by a Nigerian court in 2025. He was moved to a correctional facility in Sokoto State following the judgment and has remained in custody since then.
The IPOB Leader was kidnapped in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria. He was detained at the DSS Headquarters in Abuja for nearly four years.
Nnamdi Kanu is accused of soliciting arms to fight the Nigerian state. He is also accused of starting an armed Non-state actor known as the Eastern Security Network. Kanu was charged with seven counts by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court. He was convicted on all seven counts.
Southeast leaders and politicians have pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pursue a political solution. They pleaded with the president to free the Abia-born activist from jail.
There has been no official response from the presidency on this issue since Kanu was jailed last year.
