Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has distanced itself from the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, stating that he is not their member, nor has he supported their independent movement.
Newsonline reports that IPOB also stated their struggle for independent South-East has nothing to do with Peter Obi, just the separatist body said they will never participate in the country’s election process.
IPOB made the clarification following a statement by NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State, and NNPP National Leader, Buba Galadima.
Kwankwaso while speaking on the likely merger between New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP and Labour Party, LP, said he cannot be Peter Obi’s Vp because he is tainted by the activities of IPOB in the South-East.
Buba Galadima also in a national television interview stated that Peter Obi should take the humble offer to be Kwankwaso VP because his party has no structure.
Doyin Okupe, Labour Party, presidential committee chairman had raised an alarm about a photo trending in the Northern part of the country designating one of the IPOB members as Peter Obi’s son.
Reacting to the constant linking of Peter Obi to IPOB, Emma Powerful, the spokesman of the separatist group warned Kwankwaso and Galadima to focus on their campaign as Peter Obi is not an IPOB member.
Emma Powerful, the spokesman of IPO, emphasized that Peter Obi has never supported the movement of IPOB for a free independent South-East.
Emma Powerful said, “The global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the command and leadership of our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to advise the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwoso not to involve IPOB in the selection process they call an election in Nigeria.
“The Nigerian politicians generally and Kwankwaso, in particular, should desist from linking IPOB with Peter Obi’s political ambition and campaign. Peter Obi is not an IPOB member and never supported our agitation for freedom at any time because he pursues a totally different goal from that of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). We have no interest in the Nigerian morally decadent and fantastically corrupt political system and landscape.
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“If Kwankwaso is threatened by the Labour party & Peter Obi’s teeming support by the creative and talented but downtrodden, neglected, deceived, deprived, killed (Endsars) Nigerian youths from even the North which your generation does not have any good intentions for, then he should go forward and settle his differences and stop linking IPOB to their problem.”
The spokesman of IPOB emphasized that “IPOB is not interested in the worthless politics you play in Nigeria, we don’t regard such daylight robbery, fraud, manipulation and selection as election. Maybe there is something Kwankwaso is not telling the world. Instead of saying the truth that because he is Fulani with the (born to rule mentality), he cannot play second fiddle to a Southern Christian presidential candidate, he has the temerity to associate our hallowed liberation movement with the shameless murky waters of the Zoo politics.
“IPOB is not concerned with the waves of this election; we have never asked for nor said anything contrary to our goal and demand. What we need is a referendum, and a referendum we must have. There are no middle ways for us as a people as far as our liberty and freedom is concerned. There is, therefore, nothing anybody can do to change our resolve towards our stated goal, which is the restoration of Biafra.
“If there is a region to avoid due to criminality with Terrorism, it is Northern Nigeria which sponsors several terrorist groups as joint venture partners and recycles them in the military and ministries, you should feel non – Northerners’ pulses when they helplessly tag along with you guys to ascertain the sensitivity of their irritations and pounding of hearts in silent prayers for safety.”
Powerful reiterated IPOB’s agitation for a referendum in the Southeast as stipulated by the United Nations, UN.
“Peter Obi is not a member of IPOB and he is neither agitating or in support of our Self Determination struggle. Why associate him with IPOB’s struggle for freedom. IPOB does not know who Peter Obi is going by our biodata bank. Our demand is our inalienable rights to self-determination and this we seek through a universally recognized and accepted political process called *REFERENDUM* as stipulated by the United Nations Charter.
“IPOB wish to use this medium and opportunity to warn every politician in Nigeria to desist from linking IPOB with their politics and selection process because we are not politicians and have no common interest. We are freedom fighters,” he added.
