We don't encourage disruption of 2023 elections in Igboland - IPOB

The proscribed group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has distanced itself from any plan to disrupt the 2023 general elections in the South-East.

This was disclosed by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, in a statement on Saturday, October 8, 2022.

IPOB indifferent about Nigeria's election: Powerful stated that there is no truth in the claim being circulated that the group was planning to disrupt the 2023 elections in Igboland.

Rather, IPOB accused the Federal Government of orchestrating the insecurity in the South-East to cause fear, only to then pin it on the members of the group.

This comes a few days after a video of a breakaway member of the group, Simon Ekpa, hit the internet, where he threatened that IPOB would ensure that no election takes place in Biafraland in 2023.

There's only one IPOB: In what appears to be a contrasting position to Ekpa, Powerful reiterated that IPOB isn't interested and will never involve itself in any "fraudulent" Nigerian election issues.

He also declared that the group remained indivisible with one central command, adding that further statements on the upcoming elections would be made through the group's official channels.

Powerful's statement read: “The IPOB leadership has for 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 United Nations (UN) to organize 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 legitimize the aberration they call election in Nigeria. We are a focused, determined and disciplined freedom fighting movement not political thugs and 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.”

“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.”