IPOB: We’re NOT against elections — those calling for sit-at-home are criminals

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says it did not call for a boycott of elections in the south-east. 

In a statement shared with TheCable on Thursday, Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesperson, said the group did not and would not order a sit-at-home during polls in the geo-political zone.

Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB’s leader, had said there would be a sit-at-home in the south-east during elections to boycott the exercise.

Powerful said those calling for sit-at-home in the south-east were not working for the group.

“We have stated for the umpteenth time that we have nothing to do with the Nigeria elections and have neither called for a boycott nor do we have the intention to call for an election boycott during this coming elections,” the statement reads.

“More importantly, IPOB has not called for any sit-at-home during the duration of the election and, therefore, distance ourselves from any purported sit-at-home in Biafra land during the election.

“Those calling for ‘No Election’ and sit-at-home during the election period are simply Fulani agents whose sole motive is to discredit our self-determination movement by attempting to paint it as an anti-democratic force.

“Their intention is to create the groundwork for the international community to view IPOB as being against the democratic process and provide them with an excuse to clamp down on our activities and on IPOB Leadership.”

Powerful said those calling for sit-at-home during this polls “do not represent IPOB, are not IPOB family members, never were IPOB family members and are not working for Mazi Nnamdi KANU”.

“Our focus remains the unconditional release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU as the court of appeal has ordered and referendum date for Biafrans to determine their political future,” he said.

He said Chinasa Nworu, IPOB’s director of state (DOS), will on Friday night, make a broadcast on the issue of elections to tell people in the south-east that “we are not stopping anybody from performing his or her civic responsibility by voting person of your choice. IPOB did not order sit-at-home; IPOB is not against anybody coming out for elections”.

He added that “criminals mentioned sit-at-home” during elections in the south-east.