By NewsBits
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said it is not against political rallies in the South-East zone of Nigeria, emphasising that it is not interested in Nigerian elections.
The pro-Biafran group also said that there is no threat to any political party holding its campaign rally within the South-East on a Monday because it has long cancelled the Monday sit-at-home order.
Although the group had said on several occasions that it had cancelled the Monday sit-at-home, it introduced across the region in 2021 to protest the unlawful detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the people still observe it.
On that day, offices, banks, marketplaces, motor parks, schools, petrol stations and every other public outlet remained shut.
The campaign council of the All Progressives Congress had earlier scheduled the campaign activities for its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to hold on Monday in some parts of the South-East.
It was gathered that the APC did not earlier consider that Monday was observed as a sit-at-home in some areas of the South-East, a situation that had made it to now reschedule its campaign in the zone.
But reacting in a statement on Sunday, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, assured that there was no threat against any political rally in the South-East on Monday, because IPOB had cancelled the “non-existent” sit-at-home in the region.
Powerful added that political parties should be aware of the insecurity in the South-East before embarking on any campaign rally, noting that political parties and opponents always clash with themselves during campaigns and that when such occurs, no one should point accusing fingers at IPOB.
“No threat whatsoever because we have cancelled the non-existent Monday sit-at-home order since, but what the political parties should know is that there is insecurity in the South-East and nobody should blame IPOB for any eventuality.
“IPOB is not interested in their jamboree selection process called Nigerian election. They are free to do their campaign but what we will not accept is a situation where they will clash with their political opponents and they will now blame it on IPOB,” he said.
Source, excluding headline, The Punch.
