Prominent sociopolitical analyst and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Pharmacist Chinedu Ikeagwuonwu Klinsmann, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the immediate and unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as a tribute to the legacy of the late Pope Francis, who passed away earlier today, April 21, 2025.

In a statement issued today, Klinsmann described the death of Pope Francis as a great loss to humanity, noting that the Pope lived and preached peace, justice, and reconciliation, and consistently stood with oppressed and marginalized peoples all over the world. He urged President Tinubu to honour the life and values of the departed Catholic Pontiff by granting freedom to Kanu, a move which he says would not only heal historical wounds but also set the stage for national reconciliation.

Klinsmann recalled that in 2016, Pope Francis had received a delegation of Biafran agitators at the Vatican, granted them audience, prayed for them, and publicly urged dialogue and negotiation over conflict. According to Klinsmann, this gesture showed that the Pope had a moral and spiritual appreciation of the Biafran agitation—not as a violent rebellion, but as a cry for justice and inclusion. “The Pope spoke truth to power, and his life reflected that no act of empathy or dialogue was ever beneath any true leader,” Klinsmann noted.

He argued that Kanu’s continued detention has become a symbol of unresolved tensions and lingering grievances in the Southeast, and that keeping him in prison, despite court orders for his release, undermines Nigeria’s democratic and judicial integrity. “Mr. President, this is not a plea for leniency; it is a call for statesmanship,” Klinsmann said. “Releasing Nnamdi Kanu in honour of Pope Francis will show Nigerians and the international community that your administration listens, heals, and leads with compassion.”

Klinsmann added that while critics might warn that releasing Kanu could embolden other separatist agitators, history has shown that justice and inclusion—not force—build lasting peace. “Repression only hardens positions, while mercy opens doors. As Pope Francis taught, the path to peace is paved by courage and forgiveness,” he said.

Addressing the political dimension, Klinsmann noted that the Catholic Church holds enormous moral authority in Nigeria, especially among the Igbo people. He emphasized that a declaration by President Tinubu that Kanu’s release is in honour of the late Pope would resonate deeply with both the Catholic faithful and the Southeast geopolitical zone. “This single act could deliver the hearts—and votes—of millions of Nigerian Catholics and southeasterners, not just for 2027, but for history,” he stated.

He stressed that this was a defining moment for President Tinubu to show true leadership and rewrite the national narrative around ethnic reconciliation and religious tolerance. “The Pope was not an Igbo man, yet he saw value in Kanu’s voice and pleaded for dialogue. Nigeria must rise to the moral challenge. Let Nnamdi Kanu go home—not because he is perfect, but because we can be greater as a nation when we show grace,” Klinsmann stated.

The APC Chieftain maintained that no government wins through brute strength alone, but through the trust and inclusion of its people. “We do not honour Pope Francis merely by mourning him, but by living out the values he preached—dialogue over violence, inclusion over alienation, forgiveness over vendetta. President Tinubu can rise to this occasion and prove to the world that Nigeria listens and leads with moral strength,” he added.

Klinsmann concluded by urging the President to seize this historic opportunity to take a bold step that would unify rather than divide. “Let the seed of peace be sown in this hour of grief. Mr. President, let your name be remembered among leaders who chose healing over hostility, mercy over vengeance. Let this be your legacy too,” he said.