By NewsCritic Reporters
The All Igbo Youth Forum has demanded for the release of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafran, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government of President Bola Tinubu, saying that his release is the only way to guarantee the votes of the youths of the South East region for the All Progressives Congress, APC, come 2027.
In a solidarity rally organized in favour of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Umuahia the Abia State capital on Monday July 1st, 2025 the Igbo youth body promised to vote against the government in power in the event that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains in prison custody.
At a well-attended meeting which attracted youths from the various eastern States to Umuahia held at the Awka hall Umuahia, the youths marched through the streets in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu before addressing the press on the ordeal of Kanu, whose abduction from Kenya was declared unlawful and a gross violation of his fundamental human rights by a Kenyan High Court.
The Kenyan Court also awarded compensatory damages of N10 million Kenyan shillings in favour of Kanu. The All Igbo youths see the court judgment as confirmation of Kanu’s innocence. They added that various leaders of Ndigbo both dead and alive have appealed to the federal government to release Kanu to no avail.
President General of All Igbo Youth Forum and Ex- Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area, Chief Chinedum Obilor aka Iyerioba Ohuhu, held that Kanu’s release would decide whether or not Igbo youths would support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Chief Obilor told journalists that they are demanding the release of Kanu because that is the only thing that can guarantee APC their votes, advising the President not to be misled by the fake assurances of Igbo political leaders.
Hon. Obilor said that contrary to the claims by Igbo political leaders of calling the shots in the South East, that President Tinubu’s re-election in the South-East is in the hands of the youths.
Kanu is facing trial over treason charges and has remained in DSS custody since 2021 when he was abducted in Kenya and brought to Nigeria. Despite the fact that a competent court declared his trial illegal and ordered his release, the federal government refused.
