2027: We’ll Teach Tinubu Hard Lesson if Kanu Remains in Prison – Ohanaeze Youths

The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has threatened to mobilise against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, remains in prison.

The group called on Tinubu to secure Kanu’s release through a political solution, arguing that such a move would promote national healing and reconciliation.

The National President-General of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, made the position known in a statement on Friday following a visit to Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

Igboayaka described Kanu as a highly influential figure among the Igbo people, comparing his standing with that of the late Biafran leader, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. He said Kanu had earned the support of many Ndigbo through his consistent advocacy on issues concerning the political future of the South-East and South-South.

The OYC leader warned that Tinubu would be making a political miscalculation if he expected substantial support from the former Eastern Region, particularly the South-East, in the 2027 election without addressing Kanu’s continued detention.

He maintained that Kanu remained a major political influence in Igboland, especially among young people, and argued that his release could encourage the region to consider supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Igboayaka also questioned the level of respect and political influence enjoyed by South-East governors and other political leaders, naming Governors Francis Nwifuru, Hope Uzodimma, Charles Soludo, Peter Mbah and Alex Otti, as well as former Governor David Umahi.

He warned that the political leaders could lose the support of their constituents if they campaigned for Tinubu’s re-election without first securing Kanu’s release.

The OYC president-general urged the President to pursue national reconciliation and engage in dialogue over IPOB’s self-determination agitation. He argued that the issue required negotiation rather than continued reliance on court processes, intimidation or imprisonment.

Igboayaka further challenged South-East governors and other All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders to consider the political consequences of Kanu remaining in detention during the 2027 elections.

He said the group was prepared to mobilise Igbo voters across Nigeria and abroad to oppose Tinubu’s re-election if the IPOB leader was not released before the polls.