The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday gave reasons for its refusal to support any Nigerian of Igbo extraction in the 2023 presidential race. It says that all the people being prepared for the position are stooges that will be used against the interest of Ndigbo, Biafrans and the Biafra agitating groups.
IPOB also alleged that the people flaunting themselves now for the position were those who openly worked against late Dr Alex Ekwueme, at the Jos PDP convention as the presidential candidate of the party in 1999, the brightest chance Ndigbo had for the position.
In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful the group alleged that what such people did to Late Dr Ekwueme was similarly done by their likes to Mr Peter Obi, in 2019 when he contested with Alhaji Abubarka Atiku as his running mate, alleging that they conspired and did not support or campaign for Mr Obi despite being in the same political party – PDP, with him.
The Biafra agitators lamented that the same people showcasing themselves as candidates for Igbo president today will turn round to sabotage their own people tomorrow in favour of a non-Igbo because of selfish interes.
IPOB statement read, “We cannot support any person that will kill us, that will bring the end of Biafran emancipation. It is still fresh in our minds what transpired at Jos PDP convention when the Late Dr Alex Ekwueme contested as presidential candidate of Nigeria under PDP in 1999. “Then the likes of Jim Nwobodo, Orji Uzo Kalu and virtually every other Igbo delegate at that convention voted against him. These Igbo men sabotaged Igbo presidency then. What has changed since 1999 that will make them come out now to shamelessly clamour for the same Igbo presidency they publicly rejected in 1999?
“Similarly, when Mr Peter Obi, in 2019 was contesting with Alhaji Abubarka Atiku as his running mate, Governor Dave Umahi and his co-travellers in conspiratorial business did not support or campaign for him despite being in the same political party-PDP. “We are surprised that these same people shouting President of Igbo extraction today but sabotaged their own people yesterday, think we have forgotten. They also foolishly think others will support them when it is their turn.
“Besides, if these myopic and self-centred fellows think that producing the President of Nigeria will solve the problem of Ndigbo, they should think and think again. When Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw man from South-South was Nigeria’s President for six years, what did he do for the East in general and Ijaw people in particular?
“The same Northern oligarchy that did not allow him to operate freely will still not allow any stooge they may eventually appoint from Igboland to succeed. So, it makes no sense clamouring for what won’t proffer any solution to our problems. “The few major roads built in South-East and South-South were done not by Igbo man, yet none of these traitors masquerading as Igbo leaders today has been able to compel their slave masters to rehabilitate them.
Most of these self-acclaimed Igbo and old Eastern region leaders are actually caliphate-bred traitors and we cannot trust them.”