Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to the imprisoned leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has claimed that the “City Boys” political movement failed to gain traction in Nigeria’s South-East due to widespread disinterest in elections among Igbo youths because of Kanu’s imprisonment.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Ejimakor said his findings revealed that many young people in the South-East region are unwilling to participate in electoral processes while Kanu remains in prison.
“From my investigations, the City Boys movement quickly failed in the South-East because vast majorities of Igbo youths are not interested in any general elections that will be held while Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains in prison,” Ejimakor wrote.
“For them & for now, that is the Big Elephant in the room.”
The “City Boys” movement emerged as a political slogan and support base associated with allies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Popularised after Tinubu publicly referred to himself as a “city boy,” the phrase evolved into a broader identity used by his supporters, particularly among urban youth and political loyalists across the country.
The movement was amplified through social media campaigns, street-level mobilisation, and political messaging aimed at consolidating support for Tinubu’s candidacy under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, despite its visibility in regions like the South-West and parts of the North, Ejimakor noted that the movement is experiencing limited resonance in the South-East, where agitation for the release of Kanu from prison and broader concerns over marginalisation have continued to shape public sentiment.
In an earlier post, Ejimakor raised concerns over what he described as a pattern in military communications, questioning the focus of the Nigerian Army on alleged activities of IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South-East.
“What is the sin of South-East that each time the real terrorists turn up the heat in the North, the Nigerian Army rushes to the media to post some ‘major victory’ against some phantom ESN/IPOB in South-East?” he asked.
“Is this ethnic-baiting or a hidden plot to de-market South-East, the safest zone?”
Ejimakor’s questions followed the Nigerian Army’s claim on Wednesday that its troops overran key strongholds of IPOB and ESN in a series of coordinated operations.
According to a statement released by the military on Wednesday, troops operating under “Operation Eastern Sanity” carried out aggressive offensives across the region, forcing suspected IPOB/ESN elements into a “chaotic retreat” while abandoning weapons and critical assets.
The statement noted that on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, soldiers from Sector 1, working alongside the Air Component of Operation UDO KA, launched a targeted strike on a suspected militant enclave in Ajali Forest, located in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The Army claimed the operation led to the recovery of an anti-tank improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly left behind by fleeing fighters.
The military said the explosive device was safely neutralised by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, preventing potential casualties among both civilians and security personnel.
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