The All Igbo Youth Forum (ALYF) has issued a stern warning that it will mobilize to boycott the 2027 general elections if the Federal Government fails to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu, who is facing a seven-count charge of treasonable felony brought by the Federal Government, has been held in custody since June 2021 following his controversial extradition from Kenya.
READ ALSO: Igbo youths tie support for Tinubu in 2027 to Nnamdi Kanu’s release
Calls for his unconditional release have continued to gain momentum, particularly from his supporters and human rights advocates.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chinedu Obilor, President of ALYF, confirmed that the group had put a hold on its planned protest after meeting with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Obilor disclosed that Kalu had reassured them that high-level engagements were ongoing with President Bola Tinubu regarding a possible resolution to Kanu’s case. “We believe the president will listen to the cry of Ndigbo and release Kanu,” he said.
He further emphasized that discussions about the 2027 general elections would be irrelevant if Kanu remains in detention.
“They cannot leave Nnamdi Kanu and be talking of 2027. Kalu must take our demand to the president urgently. If they fail, we will march 10 million strong to Abuja and dare them to jail us all; if they feel they will use Nnamdi Kanu to do politics, we will not agree. We’ll mobilise 10 million Igbo youths to march and tell the government we won’t vote if Kanu is not released.”
Obilor stated that the group is giving Kalu a two-month window to convey their demands to the president, voicing frustration that individuals labeled as terrorists and insurgents in other parts of the country have gained freedom, while Kanu remains incarcerated.He also criticized what he described as the marginalization of the Igbo in recent political appointments, calling it an unacceptable pattern of exclusion.
Addressing the political dynamics ahead of 2027, Obilor warned against any plans to rotate power back to the North, noting that the South supported the North through the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and should retain the presidency for another term.
He also took aim at some Igbo elites, accusing them of undermining Kanu’s case and misleading the presidency on the matter.
“How can we say we’re one Nigeria when Igbo people are always excluded? Any coalition that won’t cede the ticket to the south will not fly,” he said. “Some of them (Igbo leaders) are behind Kanu’s plight, and they are deceiving the president.”
Obilor urged President Tinubu to heed the voices of the youth in the region, rather than relying on advice from elite figures who, according to him, have no grassroots influence.
Meanwhile, Minister of Works David Umahi recently addressed the agitation for Kanu’s release, asserting that the issue should not be used as a bargaining chip for political support in the South-East.
He noted that President Tinubu should not be held personally responsible for Kanu’s prolonged detention, and expressed hope that the matter would be resolved through divine intervention and continued dialogue.
Umahi further dismissed claims that the South-East has been sidelined by the Tinubu administration in terms of appointments and infrastructure development.
 has issued a stern warning that it will mobilize to boycott the 2027 general elections if the Federal Government fails to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).){kind=link}