IPOB threatens 2027 election boycott over delay in Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal

THE proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has given the Federal Government 14 days to ensure the listing and hearing of Namdi Kanu’s appeal, threatening to mobilise for a boycott of the 2027 general election across the South-East and other parts of what it describes as Biafraland.

IPOB’s Head of Directorate of State (DOS), Mazi Chris Nwaogu, issued the ultimatum on Monday in a video broadcast, accusing the government of deliberately delaying the appellate proceedings after moving swiftly to secure Kanu’s conviction.

The threat came amid renewed concerns by Kanu’s family over the delay in hearing his appeal against the conviction and life sentence passed on the detained IPOB leader.

The family recently disclosed that Kanu wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the President of the Court of Appeal, requesting the immediate listing and hearing of his pending cases.

According to the family, the request followed what it described as prolonged delays in proceedings concerning Kanu’s continued detention, conviction and life sentence.

Zwaogu accused the Federal Government of avoiding the appellate court, despite its earlier efforts to secure Kanu’s conviction.

“The Federal Government has not filed a respondent’s brief, they have not listed the appeal, they have not come to court. A country that rushed to convict is now too frightened to defend the conviction,” he alleged.

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The IPOB official said the group would consider mobilising for an election boycott if the government failed to act within the 14-day deadline.

“We are giving them 14 days to list Kanu’s appeal. If they refuse, we will consider boycotting the coming elections across Biafraland and beyond. A government that cannot face its Court of Appeal has no right to demand our votes,” Nwaogu said.

He also criticised the judiciary’s handling of Kanu’s case, alleging that proceedings from the trial court through the appellate stages had raised concerns about the state of Nigeria’s judicial system.

“This judicial conspiracy through the trial court to the remittal and the present silence will shame the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and all lawyers who still pretend this system is healthy. This case will either reset the Nigerian judiciary or expose it,” he said.

Nwaogu further challenged the Supreme Court’s decision which overturned Kanu’s discharge and acquittal by the Court of Appeal, particularly faulting the judgment delivered by Justice Lawal Garba.

He argued that the apex court exceeded its constitutional powers by pronouncing on individual counts that had already been quashed by the Court of Appeal.

Justice Garba crossed a line that the constitution does not allow. This is the heart of the matter,” he said.

According to him, the Supreme Court could have corrected the Court of Appeal on whether the trial court retained jurisdiction to continue hearing the case, but should not have gone further to determine the validity of individual counts that had already been quashed.

“Justice Garba did more than that. He went down the individual counts the Court of Appeal had already quashed and declared that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to try those particular counts,” Nwaogu argued.