The Indigenous People of Biafra has said it is preoccupied by the unconditional release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and not the governorship election in Anambra State.
This is just as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria asked IPOB to reconsider its stand to shut down the South-East.
The group said it made the clarification because of the reports that it planned to encourage a boycott of the election.
The Anambra poll is scheduled for November 6, 2021, while the group has ordered a sit-at-home for one week from November 5.
But in a statement on Thursday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, the secessionist group said its demand for the release of Kanu was because the authorities allegedly planned to perpetually keep him in detention, “through frivolous court adjournments.”
The statement read, “For the sake of clarity, what we said was that the entire Biafra land would be locked down from November 5 to November 10, 2021, if by November 4, the Federal Government fails to release our leader, Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.
“Our position has nothing to do with Anambra poll. All we need is the release of our leader, who committed no crime to be held perpetually in custody. We have gathered through intelligence the plot by Nigerian government to keep our leader in detention perpetually through frivolous court adjournments.
“Politicians must leave IPOB out of their predicaments. They should stop dragging IPOB into their election. We knew their evil plans when they were killing their fellow politicians and blaming it on IPOB. They should leave us alone.”
No election, a call for anarchy – PFN
Meanwhile, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria on Thursday enjoined IPOB to reconsider its plan to shut down the South-East.
Speaking at a special prayer rally in Enugu for God’s intervention in the South-East, the Enugu State Chairman of PFN, Bishop Goddy Madu, disclosed that any attempt to stop the election would throw up anarchy which would not be in the interest of the people.
Madu said, “Boycotting Anambra poll is a call to anarchy because in a democratic setting, when you block elections, you give room for all manner of crises.
“You are agitating for something, but you are using the wrong key to open the right door, you will end up sweating for nothing.
“The call (sit-at-home) is using the wrong key to open the right door and it is not going to work out, because if the election did not hold, the governor by the constitution will not stay in office beyond one day.
“The dream of the Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami will come to pass, which is call for a state of emergency and then under such situation, it will no more be democratic setting.”
On insecurity in the country, he said, “All the forests in northern Nigeria and some forests in the South are now being occupied by bandits. The implication is that the country is in a state of terror, even governors now go with Armored Personnel Carrier; what then is the fate of the common man?”
