The Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide on Thursday rejected an invitation to attend the City Boy Movement rally scheduled to hold in Owerri, Imo State, to welcome Seyi Tinubu.
The youth body also warned Igbo youths against participating in the event, describing it as an affront to the sensibilities of the Igbo people.
The position of the group was contained in a statement jointly signed by its National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, and Secretary-General, Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Nweke, and made available to journalists in Abuja.
According to the council, the decision followed an emergency National Executive Council meeting held after it received an official invitation to the rally on March 12, 2026, at its National Secretariat in Owerri.
The rally, organised by the City Boy Movement, is expected to take place between March 13 and 14, 2026, to welcome the son of President Bola Tinubu, Seyi Tinubu, to the state.
However, the council said the event was ill-timed in view of the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The statement read in part, “The planned rally of the City Boy Movement in Owerri to welcome Seyi Tinubu is an affront to the sensibilities of Igbo youths, especially in light of the continued arrest and incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The group urged Igbo youths and other lovers of freedom to boycott the rally and any event organised to welcome Tinubu’s son in the state.
“It is upon this grieving heart over the injustice against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that we urge all progressive Igbo youths and lovers of freedom to boycott the City Boy Movement rally in Owerri slated for March 13 to 14, 2026,” the council stated.
The OYC further called on youths in the South-East to demonstrate what it described as resistance against perceived injustice.
It advised them to consider closing markets, shops and transport services during the period of the rally as a mark of protest.
The council also alleged that some prominent individuals backing the event believed that the Igbo people prioritise wealth above loyalty to their community.
“It has come to our attention that some individuals have assumed that Ndigbo value wealth over loyalty to their community. To disprove this notion, we advocate a total boycott of the City Boy Movement rally and rejection of all offers connected to it,” the statement added.
The group also criticised the current administration, accusing it of failing to address the economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians.
It added that many youths across the country were battling poverty and unemployment while political elites continued to enjoy privileges.
The council insisted that Igbo youths should reject what it described as politically motivated events that do not reflect their interests.
