IPOB new ultimatum threatens Anambra governorship election

The new ultimatum by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to lockdown the entire Southeast for six days if its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is not released unconditionally before November 4, 2021 is threatening the governorship election in Anambra state scheduled for November 6, 2021.

The group, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said failure to release Kanu would attract a one-week sit-at-home from November 5, 2021, till November 10 with exception of Sunday, November 7, 2021.

It alleged Federal Government’s plans to torment or abandon Kanu in DSS custody through ‘frivolous court adjournment’, insisting that such plans to subject him to trauma in detention would not succeed.

READ ALSO: IPOB declares sit-at-home on Anambra guber election day

The group regretted the inconveniences the lockdown would cause on the people of the zone but stressed that no amount of sacrifice would be too much to ensure its leader regained his freedom.

The threat has sparked palpable anxiety in the state as many fear that the move could make the conduct of the election impossible.

But the state government appears unperturbed by the threat as it described the plan as an empty threat and assured that nothing would stop the electorate from coming out in large numbers to cast their votes.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Don Adinuba, in a chat with The Nation  dismissed the threat, saying the election would not only hold, but would witness massive turnout.

He said there was no cause for alarm as there would be heavy presence of security personnel on the Election Day.

He said: “The November 6 election will hold and will be peaceful. There will also be massive turnout. The security agencies will saturate the entire state, while party faithful and the entire electorate will troupe out en masse to exercise their franchise.”

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Speaking in the same vein, the Anambra State Police command said it is ready for the task ahead. In a message by the spokesman, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, the command said “we are winning and we are firm. Every day we evolve new strategies to tackle security challenges as they emerge. Our deployment has been taken care of before, during and after the election period.

“We have undertaken a critical threat analysis and embarked on painstaking intelligence gathering through strategic deployment of our intelligence assets, robust synergy with sister security agencies, organised vigilante groups and other stakeholders.

Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, is also worried about the fresh threat by IPOB.

“Ohanaeze appeals for calm now that all the leaders of Igboland are cooperating to ensure that Nnamdi Kanu is free.  We call for restraint and maturity in approaching the issues of Nnamdi Kanu especially now that all the leaders of Igboland from all walks of life are working to make sure that Nnamdi Kanu is set free.”