Nigeria: IPOB Denies Plans to Disrupt 2023 Elections in South-East

9 October 2022

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday denied reports that it had no plan to disrupt election in South-east in 2023.

In a statement yesterday, IPOB's Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said there was no truth in any information circulating on plans by the group to disrupt the 2023 election in Igboland.

The group rather accused the federal government of masterminding insecurity in the South East zone, with the hope of causing fear and accusing IPOB of their deeds.

A recent video of a breakaway member of IPOB, Mr Simon Ekpa recently surfaced on the Internet, where he said the group would not let any election hold in Biafraland.

But Powerful said IPOB leadership "has for the umpteenth time stated unequivocally that part of our modus operandi in our agitation for freedom has never been, is not and will not be violent agitation.

"This explains our consistent demand for the UN to organise a Referendum in the Biafran territory for the Biafran people to determine their destiny.

"To this effect, IPOB is neither contemplating nor will it encourage or sponsor anyone or group to disrupt the Nigeria shambolic selection process called election.

"IPOB has constantly made it public that we have no interest in and cannot legitimise the aberration they call election in Nigeria. We are a focused, determined and disciplined freedom fighting movement not political thugs.

"IPOB is devoted to the cause of liberating our people from subjugation and from modern day slavery and Neo-colonialism and will not allow ourselves to be distracted from this very objective," Powerful said.

The group said: "IPOB is not interested and will never involve ourselves in any Nigeria fraudulent pre-election or post-election issues. Our job is to open the eyes of the blinds by the gospel of truth which our leader has delivered already.

"Whoever, that is sponsoring any group or gang tagging them IPOB is on his/her own. For those who are hard of hearing, IPOB is one indivisible family under one central command and leadership.

"If in the future IPOB Leadership decides to make further statement on the upcoming Nigeria selection process called election, we shall make such statement through our official channels," the group said.

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