Ohaneze Ndigbo, the popular Igbo socio-cultural group in Nigeria has threatened that the 2023 elections will be boycotted if the leader of the Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is not released by the Muhammadu Buhari led-government.

Ohaneze Ndigbo

According to Naija News, the Biafra agitator and IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has been charged with treasonable felony found against him by the Nigerian Government at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Nigeria. 

It could be recalled that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in 2017 and was granted bail in April of the same year owing to health conditions. However, he skipped bail after defying some of the conditions by the court.

The Biafra agitator was then again rearrested and expatriated forcefully to Nigeria in June 2021.

The Secretary-General Ohaneze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement availed to newsmen on Saturday, January 1st, 2022, persuaded President Muhammadu Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu to bring back and maintain peace, maximum security and stability to South-East Nigeria.

Additionally, Ohaneze maintained that acquitting Nnamdi Kanu will assist in eradicating the hostile and negative impression the international community has of Nigeria.

It further added that freeing the separatist will redeem the dignity of Nigeria and regain her position in the committee of nations.

The statement read, 

“President Muhammadu Buhari should release Nnamdi Kanu in 2022 to authorise peace, security, and stability to return to southeastern Nigeria.

“But if he’s not released in 2022 as being championed by Northern leadership (Arewa Consultative Forum and Northern Elders Forum), there will be no 2023 elections in Eastern Nigeria with the evidence of sit-at-homes in the East and it will deteriorate the security challenges of Southern Nigeria.

“Buhari cannot shy away from releasing Nnamdi Kanu, it will help to obliterate the negative impression of Nigeria in the eyes of the international community, and restore the dignity of Nigeria, and re-admit her amongst the commit of nations.

“In 2023, we are committed to a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction as a result of addressing the equity, fairness and obeying the agreement of rotational presidency reached by Nigeria’s patriots in 1999, which has helped to stabilise the country.

“It will be unwise to scuttle it now it favours Ndigbo, we will commence the political journey of 2023 with persuasive visits to all the geopolitical zones of the country by January 13, 2023.

“But in the case of conspiracy, sabotage, and denial of Igbo the 2023 presidential tickets in APC and PDP, both the conspirators and saboteurs will only be available for the doomsday and may not superintendent the affairs of the country in 2023, as secessionist groups will be strengthened and unified by the evidence of political neglect, marginalisation, and enslavement of Eastern Nigeria.”