IPOB tells South-east to stop backing APC over Kanu's appeal delay
IPOB has asked the South-east to stop backing the APC following delays in Nnamdi Kanu's appeal. The group claims the government is ignoring Kanu's case.
The banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged the people of the South-east and parts of the South-South to stop supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This comes after the Nigerian government delayed hearing Nnamdi Kanu's appeal against his conviction.
Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of IPOB. The group is pushing for an independent state of Biafra from the South-east and parts of the South-South. Kanu was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism in November 2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Sokoto State. Kanu filed an appeal against his conviction in February this year. But the hearing on the appeal has not started after about eight months of waiting.
In a statement on Tuesday sent to PREMIUM TIMES, IPOB's spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said that South-easterners should reject the APC. He claimed the federal government has “deliberately” failed to hear Kanu’s appeal.
“Biafrans must withdraw voluntary political support from the APC, boycott its rallies, refuse its insignia, and deny it community legitimacy,” Mr Powerful stated. The term “Biafra” is often used by the group to refer to the South-east and some areas of the South-South.
The term “Biafrans” refers to the people from these regions. Mr Powerful emphasized in the statement that the government acted “swiftly” to convict Kanu but did not treat his appeal with the same urgency.
“Any regime is better than the APC. Under any other government, the courts would at least hear all pending legal cases according to the rule of law, instead of being used for executive oppression,” he said.
He pointed out that instead of bringing the case to the Court of Appeal, the state has left it unlisted on purpose. Mr Powerful accused the federal government of failing to file its brief in response to the appeal.
“Our position is clear: we will not support or give legitimacy to a party that is afraid to face our leader’s appeal,” he added.
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