South-East youths under the auspices of the All Igbo Youth Forum have given President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) conditions to get their support in the 2027 general polls.
The youths demanded the unconditional release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The group issued the condition at a press conference and solidarity gathering held at the Awka Hall, Umuahia, Abia State to celebrate Kanu’s recent legal victory in Kenya.
Over 600 youths from across the South-East states participated at the event, which later spilled into the streets with a jubilant march, accompanied by solidarity chants.
Their gathering came in the wake of a ruling by a Kenyan High Court in Nairobi on June 26, which declared the abduction, detention, and extraordinary rendition of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021 as “illegal, unconstitutional, and a gross violation of his fundamental human rights”.
Justice E. C. Mwita, who presided over the case, held the Kenyan government and its security agencies accountable and awarded Kanu damages of 10 million Kenyan shillings.
Describing the judgment as “historic” and a confirmation of Kanu’s innocence, the youths urged Tinubu to heed persistent calls for Kanu’s release.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the President General of the All Igbo Youth Forum and former Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, Mr. Chinedum Obilor, said Tinubu’s fate in the South-East during the 2027 elections hinges entirely on Kanu’s release.
“Mr. President should not be deceived by empty assurances from Igbo political leaders.
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“We, the youths, are in charge of Igbo land, not the senators, not the governors. If you release Kanu, you don’t need to give us rice or money to vote for you.
“But if you don’t, we will align with anyone who is willing to release him, regardless of tribe,” he said.
Obilor emphasised that the release of the IPOB leader is the most pressing demand among Igbo youths and warned that continuing to ignore this demand could have serious political consequences for the Tinubu administration.
“Our governors and lawmakers are deceiving you. They claim to have control, but they don’t. Come and work with the youths, or what happened in the last election will happen again,” he warned.
He added that past appeals from respected Igbo leaders such as late Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Chief Mbazulike Amaechi were ignored by the federal government, but this time, the youths are speaking directly and their voices must be heard.
The group also cautioned Igbo politicians against using Kanu’s name for political advantage.
“We are warning our political leaders to stop using Kanu’s name to play politics. That era is over. They hold our mandate, and we can use our votes to take it back.”
