The Council of Traditional Rulers in the South-East has begged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reflect on the request for the creation of two more states in the region.

The monarchs also tasked the President to direct the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who has been detained since 2021.

While speaking at the platform of the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday, the chairman of the council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, hinted that the pursuit was part of the agreement reached by the council at its last meeting.

Igwe Asadu noted that the pursuit for two more states is to resolve the imbalance in state creation, as the Southeast region had only five states. Three separate bills aimed at creating two new states in the Southeast region are currently pending at the National Assembly.

Asadu said that traditional monarchs from the region gathered for a meeting and unanimously agreed to support the creation of any new state within the eastern states.

"We are united in our pursuit of fairness. Currently, the Southeast has five states, while other regions have more. To achieve parity, two additional states should be created in our region. But whatever we get, we appreciate President Tinubu. We are at his mercy, and God bless him for that".

"We will endorse any statehood offer that is introduced to us, irrespective of its source or the politician who presented it".

Asadu stated that the council fully backed the demand for the release of Nnamdi Kanu made by various stakeholders, including the governors, lawmakers, and the entire people of the zone.

He said, "he is our son. He has been there for a long time, despite challenges with the judiciary. Of course, we back the Governors’ Forum and other stakeholders’ plea for his freedom so that pressure will be reduced".