IPOB Orders APC Boycott Ahead of 2027 Elections Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Appeal
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has directed its members and supporters to boycott the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing delays in the hearing of an appeal challenging the conviction of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The separatist group announced the directive through the Fourth Administration of its Directorate of State (DOS), instructing members to withdraw support from the ruling party immediately and avoid activities that could confer political legitimacy on the APC in the South-East.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Head of IPOB’s Directorate of State, Mazi Chris Nwaogu, said the decision was a response to what the group described as injustice against Kanu and the wider Biafran population.
IPOB had previously threatened to boycott the 2027 general elections across the South-East if Kanu’s appeal against his conviction was not scheduled for hearing.
However, Nwaogu explained that the group would begin its political disengagement by specifically targeting the APC, while reiterating that IPOB does not support any political party.
Explaining the group’s position, Nwaogu said, “IPOB remains strictly non-partisan. However, we see through the geopolitical games being played. Those advising President Tinubu and the British government to withhold the listing of Onyendu’s appeal in order to force a vote-depleting election boycott in the South-East and South-South have miscalculated.”
He added, “Our boycott is not a gift to any Nigerian political actor; it is an unyielding response to systemic injustice and state-sponsored illegality.”
The IPOB official said the directive would take immediate effect, with members instructed to stay away from APC rallies, stop displaying the party’s flags and refrain from defending its governors.
“While our decision regarding a total boycott of the 2027 general elections stands, we begin our phased political disengagement today by targeting the party responsible for our oppression,” Nwaogu said.
IPOB Directs Biafrans to Shun APC Activities
Nwaogu further declared, “Effective immediately, Biafrans are directed to boycott everything connected to the APC—the party that brought Operation Python Dance, extrajudicial killings, illegal detentions, and kangaroo convictions to our land.”
He accused the APC-led Federal Government of implementing policies and conducting security operations that, according to him, had worsened the plight of the Igbo people and others advocating for Biafra’s independence.
The IPOB spokesman also criticised the government’s handling of cases involving members of the group, alleging that the authorities had failed to uphold the law fairly.
He maintained that any Igbo person who campaigns for the APC or openly identifies with the party would be acting against the interests of the organisation.
The remarks further highlighted IPOB’s opposition to political cooperation between South-East leaders and the ruling party ahead of the next general elections.
However, the directive reflects IPOB’s declared political position, and its actual influence on voting patterns across the South-East remains uncertain. Individual voters retain their constitutional right to participate in elections and choose their preferred candidates.
IPOB Renews Demand for Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
The group also reiterated its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Kanu, maintaining that his legal situation remained its foremost concern.
“The primary focus of this Directorate remains absolute and unshakeable: the immediate, unconditional release of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the full restoration of Biafra. Every other matter is secondary,” Nwaogu said.
The demand comes amid continuing legal disputes surrounding Kanu’s detention, prosecution and conviction on terrorism-related charges.
IPOB has repeatedly challenged the Federal Government’s handling of the case, arguing that the legal proceedings against its leader have been unfair.
Nwaogu accused the Federal Government of undermining the judicial process in a bid to prolong Kanu’s detention.
He pointed to two separate legal matters which, according to him, had raised serious concerns about access to justice.
The first concerned a fundamental rights case relating to Kanu’s alleged detention without trial for 14 months. Nwaogu said the matter came before the Federal Capital Territory High Court approximately two weeks before the announcement.
According to him, the presiding judge informed the parties that the court file could not be located.
The IPOB official argued that the missing file had stalled proceedings and questioned how a case involving allegations of unlawful detention could become inaccessible within the judicial system.
IPOB Raises Concerns Over Appeal Against Kanu’s Conviction
Nwaogu also drew attention to a separate appeal filed by Kanu’s legal team challenging his conviction by Justice Omotosho on November 20, 2025.
He claimed that although the record of appeal had been compiled and transmitted, the Court of Appeal had yet to schedule the matter for hearing.
The IPOB official further alleged that the Federal Government had failed to file a respondent’s brief in defence of the conviction, which he claimed was based on a repealed law.
Nwaogu described the two developments as evidence of what he termed deliberate judicial sabotage and called on the relevant authorities to ensure that the appeal proceeds without further delay.
In his criticism of the judicial process, he said, “A government that hides court files and fears its own Court of Appeal has lost all legal and moral legitimacy.”
He added, “Show us the law, list the appeal, and hear it in open court.”
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The group’s latest directive links its proposed boycott of the APC to its broader campaign for Kanu’s release and its objections to the handling of his legal proceedings.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the extent to which the directive will affect the APC’s political support in the South-East remains to be seen.
