‘No Kanu, No Votes’– Igbo Youths Warn Tinubu, Ahead of 2027 Elections

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been told in clear terms to forget about winning votes in the South East during the 2027 general elections  unless the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is released.

This warning came from the All Igbo Youth Forum during a press briefing held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

The group also marked what they called a “symbolic celebration” of Kanu’s recent legal victory in a Kenyan court, which ruled his 2021 arrest and extradition to Nigeria as unlawful.

General Chinedum Obilor, President of the forum and a former Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, said the federal government has continued to ignore the voices of Igbo youths, who form a significant portion of the region’s electorate.

“Our stand is non-negotiable: if Nnamdi Kanu is not released, the APC and President Tinubu should not expect a single vote from the South East.

The real power lies with the youths, not with political puppets claiming to speak for us,” Obilor stated.

He further warned the APC not to be deceived by “stage-managed endorsements” from some Igbo politicians who he claimed were disconnected from the grassroots.

Following the press conference, more than 300 youths marched peacefully through the streets of Umuahia, chanting solidarity songs and waving flags in support of Kanu.

Their protest followed a ruling on June 26, 2025, by a High Court sitting in Milimani, Nairobi, where Justice E.C. Mwita described Kanu’s abduction and rendition as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

The Forum emphasized that the 2027 elections would not be business as usual for any political party ignoring the concerns of South Easterners.

“We demand justice and fairness,” Obilor concluded. “Until that is achieved, Tinubu should count the South East out of his 2027 re-election dream.”

With this development, political tensions in the region continue to rise as 2027 draws nearer making Kanu’s release a potential flashpoint for national debate.

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