The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has reiterated his demand for a referendum on Biafra, declaring that the unilateral pursuit of Biafran sovereignty remains the only alternative.
Kanu made the position known in a message delivered from Sokoto prison at the 2026 convention of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) in the United States.
Despite his conviction and imprisonment, the IPOB leader insisted that he would not abandon the struggle for Biafran self-determination.
“Hear my demand. It has not changed. It will not change. Referendum, or the unilateral pursuit of Biafran sovereignty. There is no middle ground. I will not negotiate the existence of my people,” he said.
Kanu rejected discussions centred on political appointments, restructuring and further conferences, insisting that his priority remained a referendum through which Biafrans could decide their political future.
“My subject is one subject: the right of Biafrans to say, in a free vote, whether they will live as a people under their own roof,” he stated.
He described his goal as the establishment of what he called a peaceful Biafran homeland, stressing that his pursuit was about safety and self-governance rather than revenge or chaos.
The IPOB leader also recounted his previous arrests and detention, alleging that he was first arrested at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos in 2005, detained again in Lagos in 2015 and later abducted in Kenya.
Declaring that his imprisonment had not weakened his resolve, Kanu said attempts to break him through solitary confinement and a life sentence had failed.
“I am fixated on one goal: total freedom for Biafra. No negotiations that trade the destination for a seat at someone else’s table. Referendum. That is the conversation. That is the settlement. That is the peace,” he said.
Kanu Commends AVID for Support
Addressing members of AVID, Kanu expressed gratitude for their continued support during his trial and detention.
He particularly commended the group’s leader, Dr Sylvester Onyia, for attending court proceedings in Abuja and supporting him during periods of solitary confinement and hospital visits.
Kanu described AVID as a consistent supporter of the Biafra movement, noting that its activities had extended beyond the United States to communities in southeastern Nigeria.
He also praised the group, alongside Rising Sun and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, for providing support to him and other detained Biafra agitators.
The IPOB leader urged the organisations to continue advocating for his release and that of other Biafrans he described as unjustly detained.
He further acknowledged AVID’s efforts to engage British officials, including the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and United Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria, over his case.
Kanu urged members of the group to continue pursuing their objectives through what he described as lawful and honourable means.
Referencing Igbo Landing, a historic site associated with enslaved Africans who resisted captivity, he called on the convention participants to remain committed to the principle of self-determination.
He also encouraged the group to maintain its support for the Biafra cause, warning against postponing the struggle to future generations.
Kanu Faults Court Judgment
Reacting to his conviction, Kanu criticised the judge who presided over his case, alleging that the judgment was based on repealed laws and the disregard of an earlier acquittal.
“A conviction built on repealed statutes and on the wreckage of an earlier acquittal is not justice. It is power pretending to be a court. Power expires. Principle does not,” he said.
He maintained that his conviction would not end his campaign for a referendum, reiterating that he remained open to discussions centred on Biafran self-determination.
