Anambra guber poll: Pro Biafra activist ‘Agu Biafra’ disagrees with Kanu on election boycott

From Madu Ezenoha, Enugu

The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday announced that the only condition for the guber election to hold in Anambra November 18 was if the federal government restructures the country before October 1.

He said that other than that, the boycott of the forthcoming Anambra state governorship election would still stand.

Kanu therefore called on the authorities to immediately conduct a referendum to enable majority of the Igbo nation decide whether they still want to belong to the Nigerian nation or otherwise.

But another pro Biafra activist group leader, Mr Ndubuisi Igwekani, popularly known as ‘Agu Biafra’ the leader of Biafra Reformist Movement (BRM), who addressed news men in Enugu later, called on the people of Anambra state and other Nigerians resident in Anambra state, to discountenance the call for boycott of the election and go ahead to discharge their civil obligation by turning out enmass to exercise their franchise, on the day of the Anambra state election.

He said a boycott of the election will lead to the Federal government declaring a state of emergency in Anambra state, thereby imposing a leader of their own choice on the state.

But Nnamdi Kanu restated his position for the boycott to stand unless the country is restructured while answering questions from news men in Enugu, after receiving awards from Eastern Consultative Assembly, ECA, Igbo Women Assembly and a group of Igbo students, for his resilience in the struggle for the emancipation of Igbo race through self determination struggle.

The IPOB Leader stated, “There will be no election in Anambra state on November 18, unless a Referendum is conducted by the Federal government. We are asking for a Referendum so that our people will decide on the way forward by themselves”.

“Bondage is not good enough to describe our plight in Nigeria.Our roads are bad. The Fulani herdsmen impunity is going on because some people are selfishly benefiting from the wrong system. But before the end of this year, the Fulani menace will no longer exist. We can no longer continue to accept this humiliation. It has happened in the past. It cannot continue. Our freedom is not negotiable’.

When told that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has over ruled his call for the boycott of Anambra state election, Kanu boasted that he has control of the grassroots; therefore he is very optimistic that the boycott of Anambra state governorship election will record one hundred percent success.

But ‘Agu Biafra’ who addressed members of the Correspondents’ chapel, Enugu state chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, later, cautioned that any attempt to stage a boycott of the Anambra state governorship election will impact negatively on the development of Igbo land and the Biafra struggle. He argued that it will amount to the Federal government declaring a state of emergency on Anambra state and imposing a candidate of their own choice, who is likely to be an enemy of Ndigbo on the state.

He therefore appealed to the people of the state and the rest of Nigerians in Anambra state to shun the call for the boycott of Anambra state and prepare themselves to vote for the candidate of their choice.

His words, “I’m not opposing Nnamdi Kanu but I am opposing the statement that there won’t be election in Anambra state. If there is no election in Anambra state, Igbo people will suffer because the Federal government will impose somebody, who is likely to be an enemy to rule them”.

Mr. Igwekani alias ‘Agu Biafra’ said he is among the frontiers of the Biafra struggle since 1999 which stems from the marginalization of the Igbo nation from the main stream of governance, stating time is now ripe for all the pro Biafra groups to come together to articulate a common agenda of realizing the dream.

He cautioned the quest for the realization of the Biafra nation based on referendum will not be achieved except the Igbo leaders reconcile and join forces with the Riverine states, to rediscover the old Eastern region.