The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says it did not call for a boycott of the Anambra governorship election slated for Saturday, November 6.
“We wish to reiterate that IPOB did not at any time issue an order or call for the boycott of the said election contrary to misconceptions in certain quarters. IPOB has nothing to do with the Anambra election,” the group’s spokesman Emma Powerful said in a statement on Thursday.
The separatist group re-emphasised its earlier stance that if its leader Nnamdi Kanu is not released by the end of the day from federal custody after being charged for terrorism the south-east region will embark on a sit-at-home protest from November 5 to November 10.
“The priority of IPOB is to secure the unconditional release of our Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been illegally detained since his rendition to Nigeria. All we said was that if by November 4 those who abducted, renditioned, and illegally detained him fail to release him unconditionally, Biafrans shall embark on civil disobedience of a one-week sit-at-home beginning from November 5 to November 10,” the statement read.
The group said it was unbothered about the election, “but our only advice to Ndi Anambra, especially those contemplating voting, is to be very careful about their security.”
The IPOB noted that no one has been asked to enforce sit-at-home order. It also dissociated itself from the audio recording warning hoteliers in Anambra State to shut their doors.
“Our people are all fed up with their suffering and oppressive conditions imposed upon us by the contraption called Nigeria and do not need any persuasion to do the needful,” the statement added.
