The group maintained that it did not have any interest in Nigeria's political process and elections scheduled for February 25, 2023.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said it is neither planning nor has intention of issuing sit-at-home order during the forthcoming general elections.
In a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Thursday, IPOB warned a group it identified as Pan-Nigeria President of Igbo Extraction Coalition (PANPIEC) to desist from linking it with criminal gangs issuing and enforcing sit-at-home orders purposely to blackmail the group and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
According to the statement, “IPOB has no plan or intention to order any sit-at-home during the election period,” saying that it had never forcefully obstructed the election process in Nigeria, “Rather we once called Biafrans to boycott elections, which was later called off.”
The group said that it had maintained that it did not have any interest in Nigeria's political process and elections scheduled for February 25, 2023, as “Our interest and focus is the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the date for the Biafra referendum for Biafrans to determine their political future in or outside Nigeria.”
IPOB further said, “We knew that this mushroom group called PANPIEC is among those sponsoring this fake group claiming that they are IPOB issuing and enforcing reckless sit at homes in the East. If they are not their sponsors with the Fulani government of Nigeria, why do they keep linking the paid Agents of confusion with us even as IPOB have publicly denounced any link with Simon Ekpa and his collaborators.”
Powerful maintained that it is on record and in the public domain that IPOB has not called for any sit-at-home during February elections, adding that it is also obvious that IPOB and ESN do not have any faction or splinter group, rather, “IPOB remains peaceful and indivisible under one command for the liberation of Biafra Nation from the damnable Republic called Nigeria.”
“We reiterate for the records that, IPOB have not, did not and will not issue any sit-at-.home order in February during the elections period. We also did not call for any boycott of the upcoming elections yet. Nobody should blame or link IPOB to the statements or actions of government agencies operating in the Eastern Region.
“The focus of IPOB is the release from illegal detention of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whom the Appeal Court and other courts have discharged and acquitted since 13th of October 2022, and Biafra Referendum date. Therefore, any group claiming to be IPOB while issuing sit-at-home orders are criminals and state sponsored agents and do not represent IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” IPOB added.