IPOB: we’ll not call for election boycott in Southeast

Tamarauemi Ebimini

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reassured Nigerians that its leadership has no intention to call for the boycott of this year’s general election.

IPOB, however, explained that its position does not detract from its agitation for total freedom of Ndigbo through a referendum.

The group stated this in a statement in which it urged the public to discountenance the recent utterance by Maj.-Gen Abdul-Rahman Dambazzu that it ( IPOB)  remained a threat to the election, especially in the Southeast.

IPOB, in the statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful yesterday, said the comment by Dambazzu, a former Interior minister,  indicated that some cabals have concluded plans to create fear in the people that will enable them rig election and blame it on IPOB.

The statement reads in part: “These cabals are sponsoring terrorists’ influx into Igboland that are killing and sacking communities so that there will be no voting due to desertion of communities in Igboland.

“It’s a premeditated plan by the cabals to blame IPOB for voter apathy in Igbo land. They are also responsible for staging and parading criminals who claim to be working for IPOB. It is all part of the planned agenda to rig elections while blaming IPOB.

“We have maintained that IPOB has no plans to tell our people to boycott elections. We have chosen to remain neutral in the forthcoming 2023 election. Anyone obstructing the election process is definitely working with agents and not IPOB.

“IPOB has nothing to do with Nigeria’s election.  We are focused on the release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and a Biafra Referendum date.”