The All Igbo Youth Forum (ALYF) has warned that it will not participate in the 2027 general elections if the federal government does not release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Kanu is facing trial on a seven-count charge of treasonable felony brought against him by the federal government.

He has been held in detention since June 2021 following his extradition from Kenya, with several appeals made for his release and for the case to be dropped.

According to NAN, Chinedu Obilor, the forum’s national president, stated that a planned protest had been suspended after a meeting with Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the house of representatives.

Obilor said Kalu gave assurances that talks were ongoing between the president and relevant stakeholders regarding Kanu’s freedom.

“We believe the president will listen to the cry of Ndigbo and release Kanu,” he said.

“They cannot leave Nnamdi Kanu and be talking of 2027. Kalu must take our demand to the president urgently.”

“If they fail, we will march 10 million strong to Abuja and dare them to jail us all; if they feel they will use Nnamdi Kanu to do politics, we will not agree.”

“We’ll mobilise 10 million Igbo youths to march and tell the government we won’t vote if Kanu is not released.”

Obilor mentioned that the forum would allow Kalu a two-month period to communicate their message to Tinubu, criticizing Kanu’s continued detention while others have been freed.

He also condemned the recent exclusion of the Igbo from key government appointments, calling it “unacceptable.”

The forum leader also addressed northern political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing it would be unjust for power to return to that region.

He pointed out that the south had backed the north for eight years under late President Muhammadu Buhari and said it is only fair for power to remain in the south for another term.

Obilor further accused certain Igbo leaders of betraying Kanu and misleading the president on issues relating to the southeast.

“How can we say we’re one Nigeria when Igbo people are always excluded? Any coalition that won’t cede the ticket to the south will not fly,” he said.

“Some of them (Igbo leaders) are behind Kanu’s plight, and they are deceiving the president.”

Obilor urged President Tinubu to pay attention to the demands of the youth from the southeast instead of relying solely on elite voices.

He emphasized that many of those advising the president do not hold influence among the grassroots population.

On July 5, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated that Kanu’s release should not be considered a requirement for the southeast to support Tinubu in 2027.

Umahi said Tinubu is not to blame for Kanu’s incarceration, adding that the IPOB leader’s release would happen through divine means and negotiation.

He also noted that appeals for Kanu’s release should not be driven by political interests or coercion.

Umahi dismissed accusations that President Tinubu has sidelined the southeast in political appointments and infrastructure development.

Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State, has restated that Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), must inform him before visiting the state.

Okpebholo clarified that his statement was made purely for security purposes and should not be interpreted as a threat to the ex-Anambra State governor.

Last week, the governor had warned Obi against making further visits to Edo without obtaining proper security clearance.

He attributed a recent security breach that reportedly resulted in three deaths to one of Obi’s visits.

Okpebholo’s statement sparked widespread backlash, with many accusing him of trying to silence or intimidate political rivals.

But speaking during the launch of Edo Line buses in Benin City on Tuesday, the governor emphasized that ensuring the safety of citizens and visitors is part of his responsibility.

He recalled that during his campaign period, he ignored security advice to stay at the airport, which led to his escort being fatally shot.

“If telling him (Peter Obi) to notify me of his coming as the chief security officer of the state is a crime, so be it. I have no regrets about what I have said, and I repeat it: before you come into Edo State, notify me. It is not a threat,” he said.

He explained that he had received a security alert and recommended that Obi notify him before entering the state. He added that it was Obi’s choice whether or not to take that advice.

Okpebholo shared that he had a similar experience in the past, when he was told by the then police commissioner to remain at the airport during his campaign, but he didn’t heed the advice and witnessed his police escort get killed.

The governor also criticized those attacking him over his remarks, noting that he merely made a simple request and people overreacted.

“I don’t know which one is paining them. Is it because I said they don’t have shishi? Didn’t they say they don’t have shishi, so why are they crying?” he asked.

The political climate in Osun State intensified on Tuesday after Governor Ademola Adeleke, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party publicly threw their support behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

This decision was outlined in a communiqué issued after a key stakeholders’ meeting, which also reaffirmed Adeleke’s commitment to remain in the PDP, putting to rest speculations that he might switch to the All Progressives Congress.

However, the move sparked backlash from the African Democratic Congress, which accused Adeleke of lacking political direction and argued that his endorsement of Tinubu would not prevent his loss in the upcoming Osun governorship race.

Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu while still in the PDP was formally communicated in the statement shared with journalists following the PDP leadership meeting in the state.

Those in attendance at the meeting included former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, Senator Lere Oyewumi representing Osun East, Osun PDP Chairman Sunday Bisi, and former PDP National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, among others.

The stakeholders resolved, “The PDP in Osun State recognises the fact that Osun State is the ancestral home of President Bola Tinubu, which makes the President the son of Osun State.”

“Therefore, the PDP in Osun State hereby adopts and endorses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election.”

The gathering also threw its full support behind Adeleke as the sole candidate for the PDP in the 2026 Osun governorship election.

“PDP in Osun State reaffirms its adoption and endorsement of Governor Ademola Adeleke for re-election in the 2026 governorship election on the platform of the PDP.”

“Governor Ademola Adeleke and all members of the PDP in Osun State should remain in the PDP. The leadership of the PDP in Osun State is directed to disseminate the resolution to all structures of the party in the state,” the communique read.

In response to the announcement, Osun State ADC Chairman Charles Omidiji said Adeleke’s decision not to join the APC might not spare him from electoral defeat.

Omidiji went on to assert that the ADC, whose Interim National Secretary is former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, would emerge victorious in the next Osun governorship election.

“If he doesn’t join the APC again, it will only reduce the margin of the loss awaiting him at the poll.”

“If he had defected, that would have been the end of both the APC and PDP in Osun. But whatever happens, ADC will produce the next Osun governor,” he said.

Explaining Adeleke’s choice to remain in the PDP despite ongoing speculation, the communiqué noted, “The majority of the members of the APC in Osun State are opposed to the idea of the defection of Governor Adeleke to the APC, which did not originate from the governor in the first instance.”

“Some APC leaders, based on entrenched interests, have demonstrated hostility and resentment towards Governor Ademola Adeleke. Some went on social media and national television to call Governor Adeleke all kinds of unprintable names.”

“The majority of PDP members in Osun State are not happy about the idea of the defection of Governor Adeleke to the APC, but reluctantly agreed to follow Governor Adeleke to whichever party he goes to show their love, support and loyalty to his leadership.”