November 05, (THEWILL) – Barely a day to the Anambra State Governorship Election, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ogun State Chapter, has urged the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra not disrupt the election.
The group equally told IPOB that its decision to disorganise the election in order to force the federal government to release its leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently standing trial, would not work.
Recall that Kanu was re-arrested and repatriated to Nigeria through the joint efforts of security operatives and interpol and had been remanded in the DSS custody for trial bothering on treason, terrorism, among others.
But, speaking in an exclusive interview with The Will, the State Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Bar. John Ogunebunwa, said that the best thing was for IPOB to allow the upcoming election in Anambra to be held for the sake of peace.
Ogunebunwa maintained that rather than the group planning to disrupt the election for FG to release Kanu, it should consider allowing the elders of the region to discuss and negotiate with FG for the release of its leader.
He added that if IPOB went ahead with its plans to disorganise the election, it might result to crisis and a state of emergency would be declared in the state which would make the people lose their mandate.
The secretary, who insisted that the governorship seat of Anambra should not be vacant, stressed that the sit-at-home order had already affected the people and IPOB should not add to their pains by disrupting the election.
He said ” Disrupting the election won’t help Anambra people or Ndigbo, the best thing is for the election to be held because there cannot be a vacuum in the office of the governor.
”The reality on ground is that the federal government cannot release Nnamdi Kanu on November 6. Election can be held and we can still continue to negotiate about Nnamdi Kanu release.”
“The president can meet the Ibo leaders and they discuss his release. So they cannot disrupt elections, because whether an election is held or not somebody must be in office or are we now saying they should declare a state of emergency in Anambra”.
“We are looking for minimal damage if the damage is already much and we want it to stop, both human and material damage, because it is much. I don’t think it is the right thing for IPOB to say the election will not hold” he added.
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