From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, has said Finland cannot trade its relations with Nigeria for anything.
This was even as Pylvanainen said it has been 60 years of excellent relationship and cooperation between Nigeria and Finland.
Ibrahim Aliyu, special assistant to the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, said the envoy gave the assurance during a meeting in Abuja with Dada over threat by Simon Ekpa, a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to bar elections in the South East.
Pylvanainen said Ekpa’s activities were of serious concern to Finland and efforts ongoing to address the issue. He added that Finland was watching to see how the situation fits into the legal framework of Finland.
The Finnish envoy also said Ekpa has dual citizenship, adding that there was the need to take his rights into consideration.
She stated that Finland has very much interest in ensuring safe and peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria and condemned in strong terms, any threat to peaceful elections in the country.
“We share very much, the concerns regarding the security situation in the Southeast. Yes, there are problems in other parts of the country as well, but this is an issue that we are directly concerned with. This is an issue we have been discussing, we share the concerns. We have discussed the matter and as I mentioned, our law enforcement agencies are in touch and are cooperating,” Pylvanaine said.
Dada called on the Finnish Government to take drastic action against the activities of Ekpa who lives in Finland, but sent inciting messages back home to instigate violence activities in part of the country with the sole aim of disrupting the conduct of the 2023 general election.
While expressing displeasure over the orders given by Ekpa to his teeming followers whom he said, “consequently embarked on killings, maiming, burning and other destructive activities,” Dada further said Ekpa’s action is fast becoming a threat to the forthcoming election.
He added that the Federal Government would not take it lightly if nothing drastic was done to stop Ekpa.
“The Ekpa-led faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had reportedly declared that elections will not be allowed to hold in the South-East, and had declared the period of the elections as sit-at-home. Simon Ekpa is living in the comfort of his home in Finland and dishing out dangerous orders to his followers not to allow elections to hold, which is threatening the peace of the South-eastern Nigeria in particular and the peaceful conduct of the election in general. We’ve had some time to ensure that we arrest this situation, but it appears the situation is getting out of hand. And we’re saying enough is enough,” Dada said.