The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has threatened to mobilise opposition against President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 over the imprisonment of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The organisation said Tinubu could face serious political consequences if Mazi Kanu remains imprisoned.
OYC President-General, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, made the declaration on Friday, November 13, 2026.
He spoke in Abuja after visiting Kanu at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
According to Igboayaka, releasing Kanu through political dialogue would promote national healing and reconciliation.
He argued that Kanu commands considerable political influence among the Igbo population, particularly younger generations.
The OYC leader compared Kanu’s influence with that of the late Igbo leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
He described Kanu as another prominent Igbo figure who has consistently championed the political interests of Ndigbo.
Igboayaka warned that Tinubu’s political calculations could prove unsuccessful without addressing Kanu’s continued detention.
He particularly questioned the president’s prospects of securing substantial electoral support across the former Eastern Region.
According to him, expecting significant support from the Southeast without resolving the Kanu issue would constitute political miscalculation.
Governors Warned Against Campaigning For Tinubu
The OYC president also warned Southeast governors and political stakeholders against campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election.
He specifically mentioned Governors Hope Uzodimma, Charles Soludo, Francis Nwifuru, and Peter Mbah.
He also mentioned former Governor and Minister of Works, David Umahi.
Igboayaka argued that these political leaders could lose public support if they openly endorsed Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
He maintained that Ndigbo would not support political leaders campaigning for the president while Kanu remains incarcerated.
He further claimed that Kanu remains the most influential political figure capable of mobilising Igbo youths.
The OYC leader insisted that Kanu’s release could encourage greater political engagement between the Southeast and Tinubu’s administration.
OYC Advocates Political Solution for IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu
Igboayaka urged Tinubu to embrace national reintegration through dialogue and negotiation.
He argued that the agitation for Biafraland self-determination requires political engagement rather than prolonged judicial confrontation.
According to him, intimidation, harassment, and imprisonment cannot resolve the underlying grievances driving the agitation.
He maintained that releasing Kanu would create an opportunity for national reconciliation and political stability.
Igboayaka also challenged Southeast governors and All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders to address the issue before the 2027 presidential election.
He warned that Igbo voters could express their dissatisfaction through their votes across Nigeria.
“There is no going back in 2027,” Igboayaka declared.
He maintained that Ndigbo, both within Nigeria and internationally, would mobilise against Tinubu’s re-election if Kanu remains imprisoned.
The statement signals another potential political challenge for Tinubu as preparations gradually build towards the 2027 presidential election.
However, the OYC’s declarations represent the organisation’s political position and do not independently establish the voting intentions of the wider Igbo population.
