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 the continued delay in the hearing of an appeal filed by its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The separatist group announced the decision through the Fourth Administration of its Directorate of State (DOS), declaring that its members should immediately withdraw support from the ruling party and avoid activities that could give it political legitimacy in the South-East.
In a statement delivered on Sunday, the Head of the Directorate of State, Mazi Chris Nwaogu, said the action was part of the group’s response to what it described as injustice against Kanu and the wider Biafran population.
IPOB had previously threatened to boycott the 2027 elections across the South-East if the appeal challenging Kanu’s conviction was not listed for hearing.
However, Nwaogu explained that the group would begin its political disengagement by specifically targeting the APC, while maintaining its position that it does not support any political party.
Declaring 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 spokesman said the decision 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.
He 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.”
Nwaogu accused the APC-led Federal Government of pursuing policies and security operations that, according to him, had worsened the situation of the Igbo people and other supporters of Biafra’s independence.
He also criticised the handling of cases involving IPOB members and alleged that the government had failed to apply the law fairly.
The IPOB official maintained that any Igbo person who campaigns for or openly identifies with the APC would be acting against the group’s interests.
His comments also reflected the organisation’s opposition to political cooperation between South-East leaders and the ruling party ahead of the next general elections.
However, the announcement represents IPOB’s stated political position.
Its practical impact on voting decisions across the South-East remains uncertain, as individual voters retain their constitutional right to participate in elections and choose their preferred candidates.
The group also renewed its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Kanu, insisting that his legal situation remained its primary 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 Nigerian government’s handling of the case and argued that the legal process against its leader has been unfair.
Nwaogu accused the Federal Government of undermining the judicial process to prolong Kanu’s detention.
He cited two separate legal issues which he claimed had raised serious concerns about access to justice.
According to him, a fundamental rights case concerning Kanu’s detention without trial for 14 months came up at the Federal Capital Territory High Court about two weeks before the announcement.
He claimed the presiding judge informed the parties that the court file could not be found.
Nwaogu argued that the missing file had prevented the case from progressing and questioned how a matter involving allegations of unlawful detention could become inaccessible within the court system.
He also referred to a separate appeal filed by Kanu’s legal team to challenge his conviction by Justice Omotosho on November 20, 2025.
The IPOB official claimed that although the record of appeal had been compiled and transmitted, the Court of Appeal had yet to schedule the case for hearing.
He further alleged that the Federal Government had not filed a respondent’s brief to defend the conviction, which he claimed was based on a law that had been repealed.
Nwaogu described the two developments as evidence of what he called deliberate judicial sabotage and urged the relevant authorities to allow the appeal to proceed.
“A government that hides court files and fears its own Court of Appeal has lost all legal and moral legitimacy,” he said.
He added, “Show us the law, list the appeal, and hear it in open court.”
