Igbo Youths have warned Tinubu over romance with south east governors and also stated that Kanu’s release will determine 2027 support for his re-election.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the All Igbo Youth Forum has issued a stern warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cautioning him against relying on political leaders from the South-East for support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the group, it is the youth and not the elected officials who will ultimately decide the region’s political direction.
Speaking at a press conference held to celebrate the recent legal victory of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in Kenya, the forum’s President General, Chinedum Obilor, accused South-East governors and lawmakers of misleading the President and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obilor, a former Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, stated that the continued detention or release of Kanu would significantly influence the political choices of Igbo youths in the next presidential election.
“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 declared.
He urged President Tinubu to engage directly with the youth of the region if he hopes to secure meaningful support in 2027. “Come and work with the youths. But if you fail, what happened in the last election will happen again,” he warned, referencing the low level of support Tinubu received from the region in 2023.
Obilor emphasized that Igbo political leaders offering support to the APC should not be seen as representing the true sentiments of the South-East. “Tinubu’s re-election bid in the South-East and other Igbo-speaking areas hinges on justice for Kanu,” he said.
The group’s statement underscores growing tensions in the region, particularly among youths, who continue to demand the release of the IPOB leader as a precondition for political cooperation.