The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, says threats of attacks by members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) cannot stop the conduct of the 2023 elections in the Southeast.
The group said the will of the people would overwhelm every distraction in the region.
Ohanaeze made this stand known to dismiss concerns over the possible postponement of the general election as a result of rising cases of insecurity and attacks on attacks on INEC facilities in the South-East.
A video posted recently that has gone viral on social media which was seen by our correspondent, showed some masked gunmen threatening a man, shot the tires of his red Toyota Corolla car for putting on the campaign T-shirt of a presidential candidate.
One of the gunmen said, “We don’t want any political activity in the area.”
But in an interview with newsmen, the spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said IPOB had not taken responsibility of any attack since its establishment.
He stressed that the security challenges within the region would not distract the peoples from participating in the February and March poll.
He said, “IPOB will not and they cannot stop this election from holding. There have been instances in the past like the second tenure of Governor (Willie) Obiano, the IPOB said there won’t be any election and a lot of us at the Igbo level, we intervened and election was held.
“Even in Anambra State, they said there won’t be an election, but the elders of Igboland intervened and an election was held.”
“It is possible that they may have made some remarks regarding that, but it is heart-warming that there would always be an intervention. People are free with their comments but ultimately elections must be held.”
