The
leader of Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in his broadcast
on Radio Biafra restated his call for IPOB members to boycott the 2019 general
election. He said among other things that IPOB is not interested in anything
else other than for the government to set a date for a referendum.
This declaration by the IPOB leader seems to be
popular among his followers, from video evidence trending on social media, tweets and retweets of the call on twitter shows that
his supporters are heeding his call, even as Nigerians heads to crucial general
election that will be determined by voter’s turnout.
Nnamdi
Kanu uninformed undemocratic moves and tactics may not be new as he is now
known for so some maverick dark political arts. Back in August 2017 a video emerged
showing Nnamdi Kanu leader of IPOB inspecting what he described as “Biafra
Secret Service” men dressed in black attire and red beret could be seen in the
video while Kanu inspects their parade as obtainable among security agencies.
This particular act gave the Nigeria security forces the backing to forcefully
move on the group that unfortunately resulted in more than dozen deaths of IPOB
members and so many other brutal crackdown on the group.
Again
the IPOB leader this time around plans to cause voters low turnout in the South
East and thereby influencing the outcome of the general election. However, it
must be stated that this decision is uninformed, and a total disregard for constitutional
democratic process of election by a leader who claims to be fighting for a constitutional
right for a referendum for IPOB.
Nnamdi
Kanu has on several occasions cited the Scottish referendum held in the United
Kingdom as the same right that IPOB has to a referendum in Nigeria. The right
to self-determination. However, in his quest to achieve this referendum, he is
not threading this same line that the Scottish people took; through a democratic
process of referendum by the democratic government of Nicholas Sturgeon, the
Scottish Prime Minister.
Instead
of thwarting democratic process, Nnamdi Kanu the IPOB leader should take opportunity
of the democratic process and contest election to whichever political position
he dims fit that will present him the platform to pursue his agenda of independence
for the people of Biafra constitutionally and democratically. This will give his
call for self-determination legitimacy and recognition beyond the shores of
Nigeria. There is no way the international community can stand with a man that
do not respect democratic process of election on which the western democracy is
built on.
Nnamdi
Kanu by his acts is setting fire to the Igbo nation he claims to be fighting
for by calling for people of South East to stay away from an election that will
show their voting power and population to the world and the whole of Nigeria. He
is also inadvertently shrinking the chance of the region producing a vice
president who may in future aspire to hold the office of the president of
Nigeria. Which the region has never held.
Elder
statesman like Prof. Nwabueze the former Secretary for Education to the Ministry
of Education have disagreed and urged those threatening to boycott the 2019
general polls to have a re-think because it will be a deadly mistake. He stated
that “the boycott of election is a suicidal mistake and for this reason, I am
totally opposed to it and have repeatedly advised against it”.
Nnamdi
Kanu can learn from history and follow the constitutional proven way to self-determination
by nations or continue in his dark political arts which will be self-destructive
and only deepen the loses IPOB and the people of South East has suffered.