Igbo Youths Reject Tinubu, Accuse South East Governors of Deceiving the President

Igbo Youths Reject Tinubu, Accuse South East Governors of Deceiving the President

 

A coalition of Igbo youths under the banner of the All Igbo Youth Forum has openly rejected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s potential re-election bid, accusing governors and elected officials from the South East of misleading the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The group made this known during a press conference held in Awka Hall, Unuahia, which coincided with a celebration of the recent legal victory secured by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in Kenya. The event was attended by over 300 youths drawn from the five states of the South East.

 

Addressing the media, Honourable Chinedum Obilor, President-General of the All Igbo Youth Forum and former Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, stated that President Tinubu should not rely on South East governors or lawmakers for political support in 2027. According to Obilor, the real political power lies with the youths.

“Our governors are deceiving you. Our senators and House of Reps 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 said.

The group linked its political support in the 2027 general election directly to the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in detention in Nigeria despite growing calls for his freedom.

 

The press conference followed a landmark judgment delivered on June 26 by the Milimani High Court in Nairobi, Kenya. The court, presided over by Justice E.C. Mwita, ruled that Kanu’s abduction and rendition to Nigeria in 2021 were illegal, unconstitutional, and a gross violation of his human rights. The court awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings in damages and condemned the Kenyan government’s involvement.

 

Describing the ruling as historic, the Igbo youths said it validates their long-standing claim of injustice against Kanu. They urged President Tinubu to act swiftly by securing Kanu’s release, warning that failure to do so would cost him support from the region.

“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,” Obilor declared.

The youth leader further cautioned Igbo political leaders against exploiting Kanu’s name for personal or political gain, stating that such tactics will no longer be tolerated by the younger generation.

“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,” he warned.

As the crowd took to the streets in a jubilant march after the press conference, solidarity songs echoed across Unuahia, sending a strong signal to both state and federal authorities that the youths of the South East intend to play a decisive role in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.