The All Igbo Youth Forum has threatened to boycott the 2027 general elections if the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is not released. Speaking at a press briefing in Umuahia, the forum’s National President, Chief Chinedu Obilor, emphasized that the group had temporarily suspended protests following assurances from Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, that discussions with President Bola Tinubu were ongoing regarding Kanu’s release
Obilor stressed that the group’s stance remains firm and that they would not participate in discussions about the 2027 elections while Kanu remains in custody. He gave the Deputy Speaker a two-month ultimatum to secure Kanu’s release, warning that failure to do so would lead to a massive 10 million-man march on Abuja. The group expressed frustration over what they called political games being played with Kanu’s continued detention, questioning why other agitators and terror suspects have been freed while Kanu remains imprisoned.
Additionally, the group condemned the perceived marginalization of the South-East in recent federal appointments and political considerations. They insisted that any coalition or political arrangement ahead of the next election that fails to cede the presidential ticket to the South would not gain the region’s support. The forum argued that the South had supported the North for eight years under former President Buhari, and it was now time for equity and inclusion.
