The recent declaration by the Simon Ekpa-led faction of the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that the 2023 general election would
not take place in the South East geo-political zone of the country has
been generating fear and tension in the region. In this
report, LAWRENCE NJOKU, Southeast Bureau Chief, chronicles Ekpa’s past
orders that were successfully enforced and efforts by stakeholders to
ensure that residents discountenance his latest directive in the
interest of the region
There are worries in the Southeast region over whether or not the
people would participate in the 2023 general election beginning from
next Saturday. The worry is not because the elected democratic
administration of the country has not carried the zone along in the
processes leading to the elections; it is generally out of a contrary
order by non-state actors led by a breakaway leader of the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, that there would be no elections in
the region. Through a recorded video that has gone viral on the social
media, he stated that the period of the election would be observed as
sit-at-home throughout Igboland, adding that it was part of the measures
to put pressure on the Federal Government to release the detained
leader of the IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from the custody of the Directorate
of State Services (DSS), where he has been held since 2021.
In the video, Ekpa appraised the five-day sit-a-home he declared on
9th, 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th December, 2022, which he said was
“historic and successful” in Igboland. He added that boycotting the 2023
elections was a “sacrifice” for the realisation of Biafra and an effort
to “end Nigeria in 2023.”
The caption of the video reads: “To end Nigeria in 2023 is a task
that must be done! There will be no general election in Biafraland in
2023; it is a sacrifice and a task that must be done by all Biafrans
across the globe.
“I want every Biafran to watch this broadcast and share widely. Don’t
miss it…Follow enterbiafra.com to know how IPOB activities delay
Fulanisation of Nigeria. I am Simon Ekpa, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s disciple on
Biafra restoration.”
It was not the first time Ekpa would issue such an order, which was
complied with. Ekpa had issued a sit-at-home order on May 16, 17 and 18,
2022. In a Tweet where he announced the May sit-at-home, Ekpa had said
it would go down in the history of Biafra liberation that there was
lockdown for three days to demand the release of Kanu.
“Get ready for a historic lockdown of Biafraland in the month of May.
It will go down in the history of Biafra liberation that we locked down
our territory for three days demanding the release of MNK. Save the
following dates: 16th, 17th and 18th of May 2022 will be sit-at-home for
MNK,” he had tweeted.
Those who tried to flaunt his orders were met with volley of bullets
from his gang. The last attempt claimed the life of a pregnant woman in
Enugu and a few others. His adherents go extra miles to enforce his
orders including killing and setting properties ablaze to instill fear
in the people.
Since the latest directive was issued, fear, concerns and tension
have pervaded the region. Those who are preparing to participate in the
forthcoming elections are beginning to give it a second thought. In
small groups, people discuss the development. Those who would not
discuss would simply tell you that it is better to stay away.
However, those opposed to the order have been using some social media
platforms to send anonymous messages to counter Ekpa. One of such
messages reads: “Attention please! I am appealing to all well meaning
Igbo and our educated elites to start now and use the instrumentality of
social media and every other means of spreading information to
enlighten our people to resist the satanic agenda of Simon Ekpa to
drastically reduce Peter Obi’s votes in the Southeast through his
reckless and devilish sit-at-home activities, which he intend to declare
on the election week. This is the best opportunity of the Igbo nation
in the Nigerian project. It will be a shame and a curse to Igbo nation
that other tribes in Nigeria are killing themselves and doing everything
for our son, Peter Obi, to emerge the president and we are the ones
trying to scuttle it through the nonsense activities of one Finland
based opportunist called Simon Ekpa and his collaborators in the name of
fighting for Biafra. Igbos, do not be deceived. Even great Zik of
Africa did not enjoy the kind of support Peter Obi is enjoying today
that has changed the political dynamics of Nigeria. That will show you
that it is divine. When you watch Peter Obi’s campaign in Kaduna, Kano
and Katsina, you only but marvel at the level of his acceptability even
in the core north. Please, I beg you; share this write up on other
platforms. Thanks.”
The Biafra struggle has been a very thorny one. It has created war.
It has claimed lives. It has claimed properties. It has caused misery
and pains. While some has leveraged the agitation to make names and
wealth, others try to forget it in a hurry. All in all, the people of
the Southeast region have been at the receiving end.
In 2012, as part of efforts to give bite to the struggle, Kanu, a
British-Nigerian political activist, and Uche Mefor, founded IPOB based
on their conviction that the Movement for the Actualisation of the
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) led by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, a
lawyer, had compromised. Uwazuruike, who took up the struggle with
MASSOB after the failed attempt to actualise Biafra through the war, was
accused of enriching himself and abandoning the objectives for which
the group was set up. So, IPOB was formed to give a new bite and zeal to
the campaign.
Media and Publicity Secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, had
accused Ekpa of not following laid down rules of operation in the
broadcasting station. He had warned that IPOB would not allow anybody
including him (Ekpa) to act arbitrarily, because the group was well
structured and adheres to principles.
“Our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu gave the directive while in detention,
but Mazi Simeon Ekpa has refused to follow the principles. Ekpa, whom
our leader gave an appointment and duty to start broadcasting on Radio
Biafra, doesn’t want to follow the laid down rules of operation in Radio
Biafra. Ekpa has refused to sign the rules of engagement and code of
conduct guiding those broadcasting on Radio Biafra. We don’t understand
why Ekpa would not like to follow the steps of other broadcasters on the
platform who have since done the needful”, Powerful had said.
Sources told The Guardian that Ekpa’s sack from Radio Biafra became
their point of departure. Since then, he has done things differently
from the main group in his bid to purportedly realise Biafra and free
Kanu from custody. His group takes instructions only from him and cares
less about the negative implications of their action on the society.
While he dishes out orders from Finland, they follow it squarely against
several advise that a genuine freedom fighter should not only live with
his people but should not also create pains for the same people he is
fighting to liberate through his actions.
On several occasions, the main faction of IPOB led by Kanu had
opposed his orders. For instance, when he imposed the three days
sit-at-home and later the five days sit-at-home, the faction loyal to
Kanu had issued contrary directives, asking residents to ignore it. In
one of his statements in December last year against the five days
sit-at-home, the faction had said: “The global family and movement of
the IPOB under the command and leadership of our great prophet and
indefatigable liberator, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, wish to state
unequivocally to the people of Biafra, friends of Biafra and lovers of
Biafra freedom that IPOB leadership did not issue any sit-at-home order
on 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th or 14th of December 2022.
“IPOB never issued any sit-at-home order on these days mentioned
above because we are not miscreants, senseless or jobless people.
“Every Biafran and residents in Biafra land should ignore such order
from untrained and brainless individuals whose agenda is to make Biafra
agitation unattractive to our people. Every Biafran must go to their
normal business on those days.
“IPOB who is concerned about our people cannot issue such brainless,
uncaring five-day consecutive sit-at-home order to suffer our people
during this critical time of the year when people are trying to make up
in their businesses for the year.
“The conception of consecutive five-day sit-at-home by a Nigeria
Agent and his sponsors is to show the level of wickedness and hatred
they have against our people. Their agenda is to create insecurity and
unnecessary hardships to make our people jettison Biafra freedom.”
Ironically, it was actually the Kanu-led IPOB that regularised the
idea of sit-at-home in the region. Although sit-at-home had been infused
into the struggle to celebrate “Biafra Day” by adherents of MASSOB,
their case then was that the day was set aside to mourn all those who
died in the pursuit of Biafra restoration. During such days, they
undertook candle light processions, symposium and lectures, among
others. However, the idea became more regular and elevated after Kanu
was arrested in 2021. His supporters had come up with an order declaring
sit-at-home every Monday and any day Kanu would appear in court to face
his trial as a way to show solidarity to him and pressure the Federal
Government to release him unconditionally. They had insisted that on
those days, businesses and several other activities must be put on hold,
warning that anything to the contrary would be met with sanctions.
They had acted true to their words but following several
interventions, they announced an adjustment, opting to enforce the
sit-at-home only on days that Kanu would appear in court to answer to
his charges. The development brought temporary relief on the residents
as activities resumed in full swing on Mondays. This, however, reclined
when the breakaway faction surfaced and began to deal with residents
found doing businesses on Mondays. The group insisted that sit-at-home
would be enforced throughout the Southeast on Mondays until Kanu is
released.
Although the main IPOB has continued to assure residents that it had
long cancelled the order and that anyone enforcing it should be arrested
and tried, the fear of being attacked has continued to keep residents
in their homes every Monday.
While some governors of the region maintained sealed lips on the
situation, an attempt by Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, to
restart the economy of the state on Mondays was stoutly resisted by
members of the group who shot, killed and burnt properties of those who
tried to flout the order, a development that effectively rubbished the
attempt.
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had severally
insisted that Ekpa’s group was not acting in the interest of the people
of the region. Describing the actions of the faction as “illegal”,
Ohanaeze asked Ekpa “if he is a hero or a villain, for taking such
actions that have caused great havoc in parts of the region,” National
Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia had said.
Reacting to Ekpa’s current order, former chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Caretaker Committee, Chief Ralph Obioha, called on Ndigbo to ignore
calls for boycott of the general election and prepare to vote despite
hindrances, while asking those pushing for the boycott to retrace their
steps. He insisted that it was not in the interest of the zone to allow
certain individuals operating in the guise of Biafra to distort the
collective will of the people especially with the aspiration of the
Labour Party (LP) candidate, Obi, gaining momentum nationwide.
At a public lecture on Electoral Process in Nigeria and 2023
Elections organised in Enugu within the week, Executive Director, Hope
Givers Initiative (HOGI), Mrs. Onyeka-Okey Udegbulam, had raised
concerns over the call for boycott, stressing that it would impact
negatively on the enthusiasm the residents of the region had developed
on the electoral process and the 2023 general election.
Udegbulam, who told a capacity-filled hall that her organisation had
embarked on a sensitisation campaign in the region to discourage voter
apathy, stated that fear of insecurity resulting from the boycott order
could affect the process.
“So we think there is so much to do. We need to ensure that the
message sinks into the ears of our people that voting on the Election
Day is their civic obligation. There is so much fear in the zone due to
insecurity and threats here and there but we should resist it, knowing
that whether we vote or not, the elections must produce a winner who
will be there for another four years. I therefore appeal to the
academics and elites to use whatever means that is available to them to
talk to our people and allay these fears. To the students who are the
future hope, you must be prepared to take your destiny in your own hands
and ensure that a better tomorrow can only come through the right
choices and decisions. You must not allow yourselves to be cowed while
your destiny is eroded,” she said.
In the same vein, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev.
Emmanuel Chukwuma, visited several churches in his diocese last Sunday
with a message that they must ignore calls to boycott the elections next
Saturday.
“I know that there is a lot of pain out there. There is no cash; cost
of petrol has tripled. Salaries have not been paid and many homes don’t
have food to eat. But I will encourage you to continue to bear and hope
for a better tomorrow. This brighter future can only come when we make
good use of the opportunity of this election. Do not succumb to
intimidation; do not be cowed. Go and vote the right person that will
lead Nigeria. Security agencies have promised to provide adequate
security. So ignore any person that will tell you that you will be
attacked. Ignore anybody that will want to buy your vote and do what is
right for the good of our country,” the cleric told members of Our
Saviour’s Church, One Day, Enugu.
Also, both MASSOB, led by Uchenna Madu and the Kanu-led IPOB have
vowed to resist any sit-at-home during the elections. In a statement
last week by its spokesperson, IPOB had said: “IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu has never forcefully obstructed the election process in Nigeria.
Rather, we once called Biafrans to boycott elections, which were later
called off.
“We have maintained that we don’t have any interest in the Nigeria
shambolic political selection process called Nigeria elections scheduled
for February 2023. Our interest and focus is the release of Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu and the date for the Biafra referendum for Biafrans to determine
their political future in or outside Nigeria.”
MASSOB, through Madu, had warned that it would deal with any group
that attempts to disrupt elections in the South East, insisting that
though it was poised for the realisation of Biafra, it would not do so
through any violent means. He, therefore, urged the people to go out and
cast their votes, stating that doing so was part of their civic rights.
National Coordinator, Southeast for Presidency Movement 2023
(SEFORP2023), Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, told The Guardian that the call for
election boycott was a distraction, stressing that the people of the
zone should not fall for it. Insisting that it was an attempt to
blackmail the zone, he wondered what benefits would accrue to the people
by not voting on the election day. Obioha stressed that he had always
canvassed that those agitating for Biafra can always realise their
aspirations by engaging in politicking, such that would enable them
leverage the political platforms to register and deliver their members
at the polls.
“These members will in turn implement those policies and programmes
that will usher in the desires so expressed. It is better than engaging
in violence and creating unnecessary tension in the polity. Joining the
struggle for Biafra should not be by force. When you order people to sit
at home or not to vote on election day, you are pushing them against
their wish and that is against the spirit of the constitution that
guarantees freedom of choice,” Obioha noted.
During the signing of peace accord by political parties in Enugu
State last week, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, had
urged residents to come out on the election day and cast their votes. He
insisted that adequate security had been planned, just as he called on
those planning to obstruct the process to refrain or have themselves
to blame.
Meanwhile, there are underground moves to cage Ekpa and his group in
the southeast region. Last year, an association of Igbos residing in
Germany – Overseas Igbos Federation – submitted a criminal complaint
against him at the Prosecutor’s Office in Southern Finland over the
crisis in the Southeast region.
The Germany-based group accused Ekpa, a lawyer based in Finland of
committing crimes against humanity; leading, participating and funding
terrorism activities in the Southeast zone.
Also, on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, the media were awash with
reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Finnish
Ambassador, Leena Pylvanainen, over misinformation, disinformation, hate
speech and inciting comments by Ekpa, which it fears could derail the
peaceful conduct of the 2023 general election.
It was reported that at the meeting, the Foreign Affairs Minister,
Geoffrey Onyeama, had expressed displeasure over the orders given by
Ekpa to his teeming followers who consequently embarked on killings,
maiming, burning and other destructive activities.
The Minister, who was represented by the Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, Zubairu Dada, said Ekpa’s action was fast becoming a threat to
the forthcoming election, adding that the Federal Government would not
take it lightly with him and the Finland governments if nothing drastic
was done.
Will these interventions stop further moves by Ekpa and his adherents
against the 2023 general election and encourage the southeast to
participate fully in it? The coming days will provide the answer to this
question.
.jpg)
