By Adadainfo
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Monday, said there were no plans by the group to disrupt the 2023 general elections in the South-East.
IPOB is a pro-democracy group led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu is currently being detained at the custody of the Department of State Security over an alleged running of a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason. There were fears that the group’s agitation for the actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra might jeopardize the mass participation of southeasterners in the 2023 elections.
However, IPOB, in a statement by its spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful, said it would not truncate the smooth running of the polls.
Powerful also said IPOB had no hands in the increasing cases of burning INEC offices in Southeast. It advised security agencies to stop linking it with ‘senseless’ attacks on INEC facilities.
According to Mr Powerful, “Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives never attacked INEC offices because we are not interested in this Nigeria’s forthcoming election in 2023. Anyone or group blaming IPOB or ESN for any attack on INEC facilities is under the influence of some powerful drugs.
“IPOB will not spare anybody using our name to disrupt elections, and nobody should link us with those who are destroying election materials.”
IPOB further accused Nigerian security operatives of being economical with intelligence facts.
The statement added, “That is why the same security agencies have never arrested any so-called attackers.
“Our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has said it several times that he has not asked anyone to carry out any attack on his behalf. Therefore, nobody should link us with the attack on INEC offices. We are not criminals, nor are we part of their election thugs.”
IPOB pointed accusing fingers to politicians, who it accused of recruiting criminals to destroy INEC offices to give ESN a bad name.
It however affirmed that the group would not be deterred in its quest for the actualisation of Biafra. According to the statement, the desperation to link IPOB with attacks on INEC is part of the grand plan by those opposed to Biafra restoration to truncate the project.
