The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on Tuesday insisted that there is no going back on its stance on 2019 election boycott.
This
came on the heels of an ongoing speculations and rumors in certain
quarters, including discussions on some electronic media platforms and
newspaper publications.
IPOB claimed the rumour is mischievously crafted to misinterpret its leader’s address on Saturday, January 12, 2019
A
statement by the group’s media and publicity secretary, Comrade Emma
Powerful stated that Nigerians, after listening to the broadcast,
insinuated that its leader had made a U-turn by asking IPOB members and
Biafrans to participate in Abia and Ebonyi states.
The group
insisted that despite its call for election boycott, it will still work
to ensure that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and his
counterpart, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, never return to office for a
second term.
The statement reads in part, ‘Therefore, we the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wish to state categorically to all
and sundry that our resolve to stop Okezie Ikpeazu and David Umahi does
not affect IPOB position towards boycotting the upcoming presidential
election in February this year.
“It is crystal clear that
various interpretations emanating from certain quarters and individuals
about our leader’s interactive session via Radio Biafra are blatant
false designed to pander to base instincts of those who wish to distract
IPOB from achieving our aim next month.
“IPOB is a highly
sophisticated movement that have demonstrably proven over many years our
capacity to handle multiple and even complex directives from the
leadership.
“There is no ambiguity in the instructions our
leader gave on Saturday. If anything, it was crystal clear from the
broadcast that those responsible for the kidnapping and abduction of our
people by the army and DSS in recent days must be held accountable for
it.
“David Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu must be made to feel the
rage of the people and this will best be served by ensuring their defeat
at the polls.’
IPOB maintained that the broadcast and
interactive session via Radio Biafra from Israel by its leader was
purely educational and rightly sought to enlighten Biafrans and right
thinking individuals and groups who are victims and witnesses of
Operation Python Dance, to the evil being committed against Biafrans by
David Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu.
The statement added, “Our
resolve to ensure Okezie Ikpeazu and David Umahi failure during this
coming election must be enforced no matter the level of propaganda,
abductions, arrests, humiliation, intimidation and killings of innocent
citizens of Biafra.
“From next month Okezie Ikpeazu, David Umahi
and co will realize and understand that IPOB movement is rooted in every
clan and community in Biafraland. Those seeking to deflect our
attention away from removing Umahi and Ikpeazu are wasting their time
because their complicity in bringing Operation Python Dance to our land
is an unpardonable atrocity against our land and God in heaven.
“Anybody
in support of Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu will be seen as a supporter of
the killing of IPOB family members which in turn will make that person
an enemy of the people.
“We shall boycott the forthcoming
presidential elections and every other with the notable exception of
Abia and Ebonyi where the incumbents, Okezie Ikpeazu and Dave Umahi are
using their positions to facilitate the kidnapping, arrest, torture and
execution of our people. This recent misconception by some individuals
who intend to have Umahi and Ikpeazu return to office, will never deter
us because they don’t exist in the real world. They only inhabit the
realm of gossip.
“The decision by IPOB to shutdown Biafraland on
the election day has gone far and cannot be changed or stopped unless
our terms are met.
People are at liberty to twist, fabricate and
misunderstand IPOB, but the people of Biafra understand clearly where we
are going. We will continue to deploy all forms of civil disobedience,
most notably boycott of every Nigerian election until they give us date
for Biafra referendum.”
IPOB further said that its aim towards
achieving the set goal and desire cannot be truncated by an orchestrated
attempt to misinform the public by enemies of Biafra both within and
without.
“Our decision to shutdown Biafraland on 16th of February is sacrosanct”, the statement stated.
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