Biafra Day: We Need Structured National Dialogue on Igbo Question — Soludo

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has called for a structured national conversation on the place of the Igbo in Nigeria, urging stakeholders to prioritise intellectual engagement and constructive dialogue over 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.

His remarks coincided with the May 30 Biafra remembrance anniversary, a date often marked by pro-Biafra groups across the South-East.

The governor expressed concern over what he described as the absence of a coordinated intellectual framework for discussing the challenges facing the Igbo and their place within the Nigerian federation.

He urged a shift from protest-driven agitation to structured, evidence-based engagement capable of producing long-term political and economic solutions.

Commending the students for initiating discussions around the subject, Soludo said younger generations were beginning to take ownership of critical national conversations.

“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,” he said.

Soludo, who described himself as a Pan-Africanist and a proud Nigerian, stressed the interdependence of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, noting that cooperation remains essential for shared prosperity.

“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,” he added.

He cautioned against disruptive protest methods such as prolonged sit-at-home orders, arguing that such actions often inflict economic and social hardship on the communities they are meant to protect.

Recalling his personal experience of the Nigerian Civil War, Soludo said his family was deeply affected, noting that his mother died during the conflict while his father lived with a bullet wound for years afterward.

The governor referenced the political philosophy of Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, describing him as a model of negotiation and political bargaining.

“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 questioned what he described as contradictions in the political aspirations of the Igbo, particularly the pursuit of the presidency alongside doubts about the Nigerian project.

He reiterated his openness to participate in broad-based dialogue involving all stakeholders, including groups associated with detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, provided such engagement remains civil and intellectual.

“Any group that advances the conversation on the Igbo question in Nigeria through civil and intellectual engagement will have our support,” he said.