The Presidency has denied reports suggesting that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State blocked President Bola Tinubu from releasing Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed these reports as fake news.
In a statement issued by Onanuga, he clarified that Tinubu never met with Igbo businessmen with the intention of securing Kanu’s release. The alleged claims that Tinubu made remarks about Uzodinma obstructing Kanu’s release were deemed false.
It was previously reported that during the meeting, Tinubu expressed his intention to release Kanu but claimed that Uzodinma had warned against doing so due to the upcoming Imo State governorship election. The reports included a statement attributed to Tinubu, mentioning the security challenges faced in the South East region.
Responding to the allegations, Onanuga urged the people of Imo State to disregard the circulating fake news targeting Uzodinma. He emphasized that President Tinubu did not meet with Igbo businessmen, did not make the statements attributed to him, and did not blame Gov. Uzodinma for any actions.
The statement further mentioned that the alleged fake news was not reported by Sahara Reporters and that the provided link did not lead to any such news on the Sahara Reporters platform. Onanuga dismissed the reports as malicious lies propagated by politically desperate individuals.
