A United States-based advocacy organisation, Ambassadors for Self Determination USA, has accused political leaders from Nigeria’s South-East, particularly Igbo governors, of deliberately neglecting the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the wider concerns of the region’s people.
The group made the allegation in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mazi Evans Nwankwo, reacting to comments attributed to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who reportedly said President Bola Tinubu has “defied all agitations from Biafra.”
In the statement, the organisation described Umahi’s remark as a confirmation of what it called a coordinated effort to suppress the aspirations of the Biafran people. It alleged that political leaders from the South-East had aligned with authorities in Abuja at the expense of their constituents, particularly over Kanu’s prolonged detention.
Ambassadors for Self Determination USA claimed that elected Igbo officials had failed to advocate for Kanu’s release, arguing that their silence and actions had discouraged intervention from other parts of the country. The group further accused some South-East leaders of prioritising personal political ambitions over the collective interest of the region.
The organisation also criticised policies and actions of some state governments in the South-East, including market closures and enforcement measures it described as oppressive, alleging that such actions deepened public discontent and mistrust.
According to the group, the emergence of current political leaders in the region was conditioned on their opposition to Kanu and the Biafra cause, a situation it said undermined genuine representation of the people’s will.
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Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the group urged residents of the South-East to be wary of what it described as “rigged electoral processes” and called for political unity and strategic action to challenge leaders it accused of betraying the region’s interests.
The organisation concluded by reaffirming its support for self-determination, insisting that the Biafra cause remains rooted in the aspirations of the people rather than political structures in Abuja, and called for renewed resolve and unity among supporters.
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