RT HON CHINEDUM ENYINNAYA ORJI AND NNAMDI KANU: THE REAL RECORD OF ENGAGEMENTS AS MAJORITY LEADER AND SPEAKER
By MANDATE 27 GROUP
The incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi is a serious national issue and engagements are not for social media frolicking and razzmatazz. Asking for video in such a scenario is sheepish and it amounts to playing to the gallery: no effect, no result.
Expecting a Facebook Live video where Orji as Majority Leader 2015-2019 or Speaker 2019-2023 shouted “Free Nnamdi Kanu” is dead pan, merely for clout. And that is exactly why his engagement is credible, high-powered, and not social media razzmatazz.
- AS MAJORITY LEADER (2015-2019): LEGISLATIVE FOUNDATION
The Kanu saga escalated from 2015 arrest, 2017 bail and military invasion of Afaraukwu, 2021 extraordinary rendition from Kenya. As Majority Leader, Orji was the engine room of the Abia House. The House maintained a doctrine: matters of terrorism and treasonable felony are federal matters under Exclusive Legislative List, and matters before Federal High Court are sub judice.
The House therefore aligned with Ohanaeze Ndigbo and South East Governors Forum position of that era: de-escalation and political solution. You cannot find a Majority Leader making prejudicial comments on a matter before Justice Binta Nyako. That would be contempt.
- AS SPEAKER (2019-2023): CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS AND INSTITUTIONAL DIPLOMACY
This is the critical part these infantile clout chasers miss.
As Speaker, Orji was automatic member of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria. Evidence shows this Conference in its communiques of 2021 and 2022 in Bauchi and other locations took far-reaching positions:
1 Condemned rising insecurity across Nigeria;
2 Demanded tinkering with security architecture;
3. Advocated state police / community policing as solution
4. Set up constitutional review committee to input restructuring demands
This was the umbrella under which South East insecurity, driven by Kanu’s detention and sit-at-home, was addressed. The Conference did not do Facebook activism. One does not chase clout with the travails of his brother. Its communiques were transmitted to Presidency, National Assembly and Governors Forum.
Simultaneously, the South East Caucus of the National Assembly on September 15, 2021 resolved to set up a committee to interface with Federal Government for political solution for Kanu. South East Governors Forum also said “a political solution is still possible”.
Orji as Speaker of Abia, home state of Kanu, was part of that consensus. That consensus birthed the template now used by everyone: use Section 174(c) of 1999 Constitution for nolle prosequi.
- THE ABIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION TEMPLATE HE CREATED
The current 8th Abia Assembly on November 10, 2024/2025 passed resolution urging President Tinubu to invoke Section 174(c) to discontinue Kanu’s case, in a letter signed by all 24 members. 3046
That template was institutionalised by the 7th Assembly under Orji. The House under Orji never took IPOB’s accusation against him seriously — in 2021 when IPOB Media accused Sen T.A Orji, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu of sponsoring insecurity, Kanu’s own family disowned it, saying nobody should be indicted without evidence and IPOB should not dabble into politics. Orji ignored blackmail and maintained institutional advocacy. bbed
- FEBRUARY 18, 2026 CITY BOY MOVEMENT INAUGURATION: THE OPEN CONFIRMATION
After leaving office, Orji no longer had sub judice restriction. At the Inauguration of City Boy Movement on 18th February 2026, he openly said the only way to guarantee Kanu’s release is for Ndi Igbo to negotiate for political settlement.
This aligns with what Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu later said in 2024 during debate on Ginger Onwusibe’s amendment: “use political and diplomatic intervention to release Nnamdi Kanu”, and Kalu’s November 2025 statement that after judgment, political solution is now open.
In other words, Orji’s position has been consistent: 2015-2023 institutional advocacy through Conference of Speakers and South East leadership communiques; 2026 open advocacy for negotiated political settlement once court process was exhausted.
CONCLUSION
So to answer Godwin Asiegbu: Orji’s engagement is on record, but in the high powered language of communiques, not in the language of Facebook comments. As Majority Leader and Speaker, he respected that Kanu’s offences were federal matters and the case was before court, he supported political solution via Conference of Speakers, and as a free citizen on February 18, 2026, he said it openly: political settlement is the only way.
That punctures the pot of lies.
