The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), described as ‘laughable’ insinuations that it is supporting the presidential bid of Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
IPOB, founded by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, alleged that the national secretary, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association, Saleh Alhassan, linked it to ‘the OBIdient movement’.
The group said it is not in support of Peter Obi or any presisential candidate ahead of the 2023 election because ‘Nigeria is irredeemable’.
IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, in the statement, said the concern of the Biafra agitation movement is to effect the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The release read, “Our attention has been drawn to the laughable and disgraceful statement credited to one Saleh Alhassan of Miyetti Allah group linking the so-called Obidient movement to IPOB.
“Miyetti Allah are not well informed to know that IPOB does not engage in seasonal jamboree and selection process called Nigerian election.
“IPOB cannot drag its hard-earned reputation to the mud of the farce called Nigerian politics. Peter Obi is involved in and playing the dirty Nigerian politics while we in IPOB play advanced internationally accepted politics targeting the Biafra referendum.”
He said Igbo natives supporting Obi are not IPOB members.
Quoting him, “The Igbo people rallying behind Peter Obi are not IPOB members. IPOB’s goal is the disintegration of the Nigeria enterprise irrespective of whether Peter Obi or anyone else from the Biafran geographic space is contesting in the Nigerian farce of an election.
“Nigerians should understand that not every indigenous Igbo, Ibibio, Anang, Izon, Ogoni, Urhobo, etc from Biafra extraction supports the Biafra Agitation by IPOB; while some are in support, others are against it. That’s the democratic nature of Biafrans which only referendum will settle.”
Powerful, in the statement, said it ‘is neither interested in an Igbo President nor a Nigerian President of Biafra extraction’.
In his words, “IPOB is a freedom fighting movement and has nothing whatsoever to do with or in Nigerian politics. So long as we in IPOB are concerned, Nigeria is irredeemable. All we want is the unconditional release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra Referendum date.”
