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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi is not its member.
The group stated this against the backdrop of claims by presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso linking Obi to the pro-Biafran movement.
Its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, in a statement, yesterday, said Obi’s ideology was completely different from theirs, and that IPOB was interested in Biafra’s restoration as opposed to the former Anambra State governor’s interest in revamping the Nigerian economy.
“Nigerian politicians generally and Kwankwaso in particular should desist from linking IPOB with Peter Obi, his political ambition and campaign. Peter Obi is not an IPOB member, never supported our agitation for freedom at any time because he pursues a totally different goal form that of IPOB. We have no interest in the Nigerian morally decadent and fantastically corrupt political system and landscape…
“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 recognised and accepted political process called referendum as stipulated by the United Nations Charter.
“If Kwankwaso is threatened by Labour party and 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 do not have any good intentions for, then he should go forward and settle his differences and stop linking IPOB to their problem.
“Instead of saying the truth that because he is Fulani with the (born to rule mentality) he cannot play the second fiddle to a southern Christian presidential candidate, he has the temerity to associate our hallowed liberation movement with the shameless mucky waters of politics. There is, therefore, nothing anybody can do to change our resolve towards our stated goal which is the restoration of Biafra.”
On alleged activities of IPOB as a terrorists group, Powerful said: “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, recycles them in the military and ministries.
