Dissolution of Third DOS administration lawful – IPOB

From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared the dissolution of its Third Directorate of State (DOS) administration as lawful, final and takes immediate effect. It also dismissed all counter-actions by the dissolved leadership as illegal and unconstitutional.

In a statement issued on June 19 and signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said the action followed the June 18 directive of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, dissolving the Chika Edoziem-led DOS and inauguration of the Fourth Administration headed by US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ.

IPOB cited provisions of its Code of Conduct, which vest exclusive authority in Kanu to appoint, suspend, dissolve or dismiss principal officers.

“No coordinator, principal officer, directorate, committee or collective body possesses any constitutional authority to suspend, remove or overrule the Supreme Leader,” the statement said.

The group consequently described Edoziem’s purported suspension of the Office of the Supreme Leader and the Director of Radio Biafra as a legal impossibility.

IPOB accused Edoziem and his associates of gross insubordination, constitutional misconduct, abuse of office, attempted usurpation of powers and sabotage of the movement’s command structure.

According to the group, rather than hand over authority, the dissolved officials chose the path of rebellion against the very authority from which they previously derived their legitimacy.

It maintained that the Third DOS no longer exists and that any directive issued by Edoziem after June 18 is null and void.

The group urged journalists to recognise only communications from authorised channels, warning against reporting statements from persons who no longer hold recognised authority.

IPOB also issued what it described as a final warning, stating that continued defiance would attract suspension, removal or expulsion.

It reaffirmed that the Fourth Administration under Nwaọgụ is fully constituted, operational and accountable to Kanu.