The separatist group accused the governor of sabotaging the political rights of Southeast Nigeria with the hope of becoming the president in 2023.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State of was wrong for saying Ebonyi will not go with Biafra.
The separatist group accused the governor of sabotaging the political rights of Southeast Nigeria with the hope of becoming the president in 2023.
In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the separatist group also told Umahi that his comments against Ndigbo and bodies that speak for them in order to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket will make his chances of becoming the president slimmer because even the Northerners who are pushing him to sabotage the Southeast will not trust him.
IPOB in the statement titled, “Dave Umahi Fulani will not give you a presidential ticket let alone allow you to be president of Nigeria,” said the Governor should first understand his actual roots and stop wasting his time and money hoping to get the APC presidential ticket with the support from Fulani.
The statement read, “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the command and leadership of our great leader Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the fallacious and laughable statement credited to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi.
“As usual, Umahi was ranting and calling the Igbo liars, calling IPOB family group liars and claiming that Fulani people were not killing or burning down properties belonging to Biafrans in Biafraland and anywhere in the country.
“Well, what else can you expect from a man who does not know his actual roots? Such statements from a very insecure man do not surprise or bother us in the least because we know where he is coming from and where he is irretrievably heading to.
“Any individual or politician who ridicules his people because of politics will certainly reap the reward of such misadventure and David Umahi will not be an exception. People should ask David Umahi why no terrorist governor in the North or politician ever condemned the activity of terrorist herdsmen, bandits kidnapping people, Boko Haram terrorists and other terrorist groups rampaging the North.
“Shamefully, the same people shielding the criminals by killing people, rendering them homeless, kidnapping school children and stoning people to death will tell him to prove his loyalty by condemning and killing those he claims are his people. What a shame and a humiliating way of getting to power?
“Every responsible Igbo man whether you like us or not, whether you like Nnamdi Kanu or not should thank CHUKWUOKIKEABIAMA for IPOB and our great leader Mazi Nnamdi. If not, the Fulani would have pursued Governor Dave Umahi and his likes out from Ebonyi State and Biafra land since two years ago. Acquiring certificates does not confer common sense to the acquirer which is the sorry and pitiable state David Umahi has found himself in. For him to say that Ebonyi State is not part of Biafra land means that he is suffering from chronic delusion and mental paralysis.
“Who told him that he has the mandate of our people in Ebonyi State to decide for them? David Umahi at best can only vote as an individual during the referendum, and he is entitled to cast his vote for Nigeria for all we care, but we assure him that during the referendum his family members will vote for Biafra, not Nigeria.
“The governor of Ebonyi State in the person of Dave Umahi is on record lamenting the atrocities committed last year by Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen who attacked part of his state and murdered over 100 innocent citizens of the state. Now he is suddenly making a volte-face and suffering from amnesia and no longer has any recollection of his senses. Leaders our foot.”
Governor Umahi has on several occasions insisted that IPOB is behind all the killings and criminal activities going on in the Southeast region of the country. He also recently said the killings going on in the Southeast are largely carried out by Igbo people and not outsiders.
The governor had also noted that Ebonyi will not be part of Biafra, saying, “I use this opportunity to tell Igbo to be wise, this sit at home is useless and it is nonsense. This agitation is nonsense for me because even if it was to be Biafra, Ebonyi will not belong to Biafra.
“I have been saying it and I will continue to say it and I have no apologies because we have been used as house boys and house girls and by the creation of Ebonyi State, we are having self-determination and somebody telling me about Biafra. We have to get to the status of our brothers and sisters in Southeast.
“Before, we had no confidence in ourselves and we are changing the narratives and somebody has been your house boy and house girl and the person wants to aspire, you will definitely not be happy.
“So, we are not for Biafra, we are for a united and equitable just Nigeria. And so, I will continue to preach that there is no gain in sit-at-home, there is no gain in our killing ourselves and I am happy that the altercation with other people from other regions is a thing of the past.”