IPOB cancels election boycott order, says conditions have been met

With just few hours to the 2019 election, the leader of Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, has called off the planned boycott of elections by IPOB members in the South-East.

Kanu had earlier urged IPOB supporters and sympathizers to shun the 2019 general elections unless the Federal Government announced a date for Biafra referendum.

In a statement, by the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Friday in Awka, IPOB said it reached the decision to allow polls in the area after meeting with “stakeholders.”

They said all terms and conditions had been met by those who wanted boycott annulled. The group however did not specifically mention if the Federal Government had agreed to a date for Biafra referendum which was the basis for the boycott.

READ ALSO: ELECTIONS: Opposition parties reveal govt’s plots against media houses, reporters

The statement reads in part: “It’s important we notify the world at large and the indefatigable global IPOB family in particular that our supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has called-off the election boycott in Biafraland.

“After a brief emergency session of the Directorate of State late last night presided over by our leader,  it was determined that
“The signed document agreeing to IPOB terms and conditions are in our possession and will be made public in due course.

“We can, therefore, state with utmost sense of responsibility and pride that IPOB has accomplished what no other people or group has been able to do in the history of our people. Without prejudice, this will go down as the defining moment when the irreversibility of the restoration of Biafra was firmly entrenched in the subconscious of all and sundry. As a result of which we can state categorically that Biafra is a lot closer than we think as a result of this.”

The said boycott had received criticisms from different quarters with the South-East governors and the apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, opposing the move.

By Precious Akpadaka…

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now