A claim linking the OBIdient movement to the National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association, Saleh Alhassan, has been referred to as “laughable” by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The organisation argued that Nigeria was irredeemable and opposed Peter Obi, the nominee of the Labour Party, as well as any president of Igbo descent.
It claimed that Alhassan’s remarks were an insult to the Biafra fight and the souls of all those who had lost their lives in support of the restoration of Biafra.
Emma Powerful, the organization’s media and publicity secretary, issued a statement from IPOB warning against any association with Obi’s politics.
It insisted that neither it knew Obi nor shared his political views, and that the release of its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the timing of the Biafra referendum remained in its best interests.
The following is an excerpt from the statement: “Our attention has been attracted to the ludicrous and shameful remark attributed to one Saleh Alhassan of the Miyetti Allah organisation associating the purported Obidient movement to IPOB.
“Miyyeti Allah are not well informed to know that IPOB does not engage in seasonal jamboree and selection process called Nigerian election.
“IPOB can not drag its hard-earned reputation to the mud of the farce called Nigerian politics. Peter Obi is involved in and playing the dirty Nigerian politics while we in IPOB play advanced internationally accepted politics targeting Biafra Referendum.”
“the Igbo people rallying behind Peter Obi are not IPOB members” because IPOB’s goal is the disintegration of the “Nigeria enterprise irrespective of whether Peter Obi or anyone else from the Biafran geographic space is contesting in the Nigerian farce of an election.
“Nigerians should understand that not every indigenous Igbo, Ibibio, Anang, Izon, Ogoni, Urhobo, etc from Biafra extraction support the Biafra Agitation by IPOB. While some are in support others are against it. That’s the democratic nature of Biafrans which only Referendum will settle.”
IPOB, it said, is neither interested in an Igbo President nor a Nigerian President of Biafra extraction.
“IPOB is a freedom fighting movement and has nothing whatsoever to do with or in Nigerian politics. So long as we in IPOB are concerned, Nigeria is irredeemable. All we want is the unconditional release of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra Referendum date,” the statement added.
