Igbo youths under the All Igbo Youth Forum have said that President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are being misled by political leaders in the South East.
According to the youths, it is not the elected politicians but the young people in the region who will decide the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
This message was shared during a large gathering held at Awka Hall in Umuahia, Abia State.
Over 300 youths from different South East states came together for a press briefing and later took to the streets in a peaceful march, celebrating the recent legal win of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in a Kenyan court.
The event followed a ruling by the High Court in Milimani, Nairobi, on June 26. The court declared that Kanu’s arrest and transfer from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021 was illegal.
Justice E.C. Mwita ruled that the act of abducting Kanu, holding him in secret, torturing him, and flying him to Nigeria without due process, violated both Kenyan and international laws.
The court awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings in damages and blamed the Kenyan government and other agencies involved.
Describing the judgement as a turning point, the youths called on President Tinubu to release Kanu, noting that this decision will shape their support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking for the group, Honourable Chinedum Obilor, the President General of the All Igbo Youth Forum and a former Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, made it clear that youth support is tied directly to Kanu’s freedom.
He said, “Our Governors are deceiving you. Our Senators and House of Representatives members are deceiving you. They claim to be in charge, but they are not. We, the youths are the ones in charge of Igbo land.”
Obilor noted that if Tinubu wants true support from the region, he must stop listening to the political elites and instead engage directly with the youth.
“We want President Tinubu to release Kanu. If you do it, you don’t need to give us rice or money to vote for you in 2027. But if you don’t, we will negotiate with anyone willing to release him for us, irrespective of his tribe.”
He added that the Federal Government had ignored past pleas from respected Igbo elders for Kanu’s release, but the youth are now speaking clearly and must not be ignored.
The group also issued a warning to local politicians, saying they should stop using Kanu’s name to gain political advantage. According to them, such tactics will no longer be accepted.
“Our political leaders have to listen to us because they are holding our mandate. And we can use our votes to remove them. We warn them to stop using Kanu’s name to play politics.”
With a firm voice, the youths made it known that their loyalty is not automatic and depends on how their concerns are handled—especially the fate of Nnamdi Kanu.
