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IPOB tackles US institutes on 2023 elections claim

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Sunday challenged the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in the United States to show proof of its plan to disrupt the 2023 elections in Nigeria.

The institutes had on Friday warned that separatist groups and informal security outfits in the South-East and South-West might spark post-election violence in Nigeria.

In a report published by the institutes, they pointed out that secessionist agitation by IPOB might affect voter turnout in the South-East while the proliferation of regional security groups, including the Ebubeagu in the same region and Amotekun in the South-West would raise fears of election violence.

However, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the group accused the Nigerian government of actively lobbying foreign organizations against its aspiration.

IPOB declared that all efforts by the government to destroy its reputation in the international community would come to naught.

The statement read: “We the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, under the leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to advise the two American Institutes who were sponsored to make fallacious, and false statements against IPOB, towards Nigeria’s compromised 2023 election to be circumspect in their reportage.

READ ALSO: 2023: US bodies worried IPOB, Amotekun, Ebubeagu are recipes for post election violence

“If American secret agencies are sincere with their intelligence, the two US-based Institute: National Democratic Institute, NDI, and International Republican Institute, IRI, should have known that the Nigeria government and her security apparatus are the ones sponsoring criminals and bandits to cause confusion and havoc in the South-East and turn around to blame it on IPOB.

“It is unfortunate that these two organisations are making caricatures of themselves in their effort to help Nigerian government blackmail IPOB.

“IPOB still remains neutral towards Nigeria 2023 general elections because we know what we are looking for.

“IPOB has never issued any order to disrupt the election in Nigeria in 2023.

“Those people using ESN and IPOB’s name to issue statements are not IPOB members and can never be our members.

“They are sponsored by Nigerian politicians, the Nigerian government, and her security agents to blackmail IPOB.

“We challenge the United States-based Institutes to provide evidence where IPOB has made an official statement or ordered disruption of 2023 elections in Nigeria.”

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