April 16, 2026 | News
Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “City Boys” political movement has failed to gain traction in Nigeria’s South-East due to widespread disinterest in elections among Igbo youths.
In a post shared on Thursday, Ejimakor said his findings revealed that many young people in the region are unwilling to participate in any electoral process while Kanu remains in detention. He noted that this sentiment has significantly weakened the appeal of the movement across the South-East.
According to him, Kanu’s continued imprisonment remains the dominant concern among youths in the region, discouraging political participation and engagement with movements linked to the current administration.
The “City Boys” movement, associated with President Tinubu and his supporters, emerged as a political slogan after the president referred to himself as a “city boy.” It has since developed into a broader campaign identity aimed at mobilising support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite gaining visibility in parts of the South-West and Northern Nigeria, Ejimakor argued that the movement has struggled to resonate in the South-East, where agitation for Kanu’s release and concerns over marginalisation continue to shape public sentiment.
He also questioned what he described as a pattern in military communications, suggesting that the Nigerian Army often highlights operations against IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), particularly when security challenges intensify in other parts of the country.
His remarks followed recent claims by the Nigerian Army that troops carried out coordinated operations against suspected IPOB/ESN elements in the South-East, including a raid on a forest enclave in Enugu State, where an improvised explosive device was reportedly recovered and safely neutralised.
The development underscores the ongoing political and security tensions surrounding Kanu’s detention and its wider implications for electoral participation and public sentiment in Nigeria’s South-East region.
