IPOB: We’re Boycotting, Not Disrupting Anambra Poll

• Don’t Be Intimidated, APGA Tells Voters •INEC Chair, IG, Others to Meet Anambra Guber CandidatesTomorrow

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described as wild allegation the claims that it intends to disrupt the Anambra governorship election on Saturday.

The group said it is not true that it plans to disrupt the election, saying that its only plan is to boycott the election because it will not be anything different from others that have been conducted in Nigeria.

However, as the confusion over whether IPOB is boycotting or disrupting the upcoming election continues, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has implored electorates in Anambra State not to give in to the antics of the anti-democratic agents and reactionary forces seeking to undermine Saturday’sgovernorship election but to make sure that every vote counts.

Regardless of the threats and uncertainty, the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmud Yakub and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris will Tuesday meet with candidates of the Anambra governorship election.

IPOB said, “Wild, unfounded and foolish accusations about IPOB intending to disrupt the polls on Saturday as peddled by politicians, is not only baseless but completely unfounded.”

The group said instead of watching out for disturbances from IPOB, Anambra people should better be careful of security agents who have been dispatched to the state to kill and maim its citizens.

“What the good people of Anambra State should watch out for is the well-known rigging antics of INEC. We insist on a total boycott of all elections because voting in Anambra or any other elections in Nigeria is an exercise in futility because Aso Rock has already decided who they want to be sworn in as Anambra governor despite the warm words of free and fair elections emanating from APC praise singers in the South-east.

“A country like Nigeria riddled with institutionalised injustice cannot conduct a free and fair election. No free and fair elections have ever been conducted in Nigeria’s history, so Anambra State cannot be an exception. Risking one’s life to go and vote on Saturday, with trigger-happy Hausa Fulani soldiers looking for Biafrans to kill, is a risky adventure not worth undertaking by any sane person.

“That they have perfected plans to rig the upcoming Anambra State Governorship election in favour of the most loyal Hausa Fulani slave among the contenders is not a secret.

“IPOB Intelligence Unit has uncovered plans by APC to import voters from Imo State with the help of Rochas Okorocha. Willie Obiano, on the other hand, is working hand in hand with Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to bring in Northern youths resident in the state into Anambra to vote for Willie Obiano as a reward for signing up to the war against IPOB.
“At this moment, they have concluded plans to declare the APC candidate winner, whether people vote or not. What this means is that our vote doesn’t count. Voting is tantamount to legitimising illegitimacy,” IPOB said.

The group warned Anambra people that the same politicians who were urging them to go ahead and cast their votes were the same people that conspired with Aso Rock cabal to bring death to the southeast through Operation Python Dance II.

“We hereby warn all commercial vehicle operators to please stay away from Anambra State starting from the evening of the 17th of November because any vehicle seen will be regarded as hostile and working to subvert the will of the people.

“On no account must any vehicles pass through Anambra State because some politicians at the payroll of Fulani caliphate are hell-bent on causing trouble on the 18 by importing alien voters into Anambra State.

“We are fully aware that all soldiers and police drafted into Anambra State have been brought ostensibly to facilitate the rigging of the election and to kill as many people as possible. So any vehicle seen on the road will be considered a threat to their plans to rig the election and the occupants of such vehicles will be shot dead.

“Therefore, we advise everybody to stay indoors on that fateful day in Anambra State and to desist from driving through the state from 5 pm on Friday the 17 of November to 6 pm on Saturday the 18th,” the release read.
Meanwhile, APGA has urged (INEC), security agencies and other federal government establishments, who will be on election duty during the governorship election to be above board, non-partisan and ensure that the electoral guidelines, rules and regulations are strictly adhered to.

In a statement issued yesterday by APGA’s National Director of Publicity, Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, the party enjoined INEC to provide a level playing field for the 37 political parties that are participating in the forthcoming election.
It also warned against those who are out to undermine the emergence of the popular choice of the Anambra People and to invalidate the genuine outcome of the election.
“We demand from them a credible poll, to make sure that every vote counts and for the electorate to be the ultimate decider of who wins the election,” it said.

The party said that it wishes to “advise all purveyors of electoral malfeasance and brigandage who are neck-deep and hell-bent on rigging the election to have a rethink, repent and jettison the unwholesome, diabolical and untenable idea”.
APGA said that with level of political consciousness in Anambra State such antics of undemocratic elements will not be tolerated by the People.

“Therefore, the Party urges the people of Anambra State to turn out en masse for the election without any atom of fear and make a loud and unmistakable statement by voting their own; the chosen APGA  and its standard bearer; the workaholic-working-Willie; Willie Obiano.

In the same vein, INEC has expressed its readiness to conduct a credible election. In a statement signed by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra, Mr. Nkwachukwu Orji, it  stated that there would be a meeting between the agency and the political partiesand its flagbearers at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, towards assuring the candidates of a level playing field.

Orji said that the November 14 meeting would also be attended by heads of other security agencies, civil society organisations, local and foreign observers that had been accredited by INEC to cover the election.
Orji added that the commission was ready for the election and appealed to all candidates to play by the rules, just as he promised a level playing field for all.

He said, “The stakeholders meeting in Anambra State has been fixed for Tuesday, November 14. It will be attended by all the contestants, the security agencies, civil society organisations both local and foreign, that had been registered by INEC.
“We will want to appeal to all the contestants to play by the rules and also speak to their supporters on the need to have a peaceful election.”