A coalition of Igbo youths and women organisations has dissociated itself from the recent broadcast attributed to the Supreme Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, calling for election boycott in 2019.
The group, at the end of its monthly meeting in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, described Kanu’s alleged broadcast as a great deceit and cautioned the Igbos to ignore the call.
The group, which had earlier drummed support for Kanu’s return to Nigeria, said the IPOB leader, following recent developments, has depreciated in value in the eyes of well meaning Igbo people.
In a joint statement signed by the President, World Igbo Youths Congress, Mazi Alex Okemiri; Leader of South East Women Professionals, Helen Ogbonnaya; and the President, Igbo Students Forum, Chidera Utucha, the group further insisted that after careful examination of Kanu’s modus operandi, especially as concerns the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election, it can no longer have absolute confidence in him.
They regretted that in spite of Kanu’s threat that the March 2018 Anambra State election would not hold, he later allegedly compromised with Governor Willie Obiano and only succeeded in discouraging voters from voting, which gave Obiano victory in 17 LGAs of the State, having pulled voters out of polling units who could have voted against him.
The Coalition believes that with the reappearance of Kanu and his usual call for no election in 2019, he was perfecting plans towards working for the victory of Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and governorship hopeful Senator Hope Uzodinma in Imo State.
According to them, Kanu has compromised and his call for no election was a ploy to pull voters out of polling units, thereby wittingly granting victory to the South East Governors as well as President Muhammadu Buhari against Atiku Abubakar.
While urging Ndigbo not to fall for the antics of the IPOB leader, the coalition called on Igbo stakeholders to resurrect the dampening spirit of the people.
They observed that the failure of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to hold the prestigious annual Igbo day celebration held September 29, indicated that the apex Igbo socio-cultural body required urgent restructuring.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has exonerated South East Governors from alleged assassination attempt on Kanu.
The group, led by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, made its position known through its Deputy President-General, Obinna Achionye.
In a release made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the group expressed its respect for Kanu but commended the South East Governors for their efforts towards ensuring the peace of the zone, adding that the Governors should not be associated with such unfounded rumours.
The release reads in part: “We highly respect Kanu but we have it in good authority that Governors Ikpeazu, Umahi and Ugwuanyi are interested to ensure that the tension that resulted in the killing of unarmed Biafrans are put to an end.
“Governor Ikpeazu, was not aware of military activities in Kanu’s home last year as the Governor was in official sick leave in Dubai, and IPOB knows that Ikpeazu was not in attendance at the meeting between the Governors and Nnamdi Kanu brokered by Prof Ben Nwabueze.
“We know some people are deceiving our dear Nnamdi Kanu, and we insist that South East Governors should not be distracted by this slight misunderstanding not to rebuild the palace of His Royal Majesty, Eze Israel Kanu, (Nnamdi Kanu’s father and the traditional ruler of Afara Community in Umiahia, Abia State).
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