Five-Day Sit-At-Home Order Must Not Stand – Igbo Elders Blasts Simon Ekpa

Under the leadership of former Anambra governor Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the IGBO Elders Consultative Forum has advised Southeast residents to reject the five-day sit-in launched by Finland-based Simon Ekpa, a protege of incarcerated Indigenous People of Biafra leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They branded Ekpa’s draconian decree as the pinnacle of indifference to the plight of the people, adding that it should never be followed or allowed to stand.

Ezeife, who briefed journalists in Abuja on Thursday night, said the Forum met, discussed, and critically analyzed some national issues and questions with far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability, and corporate existence in general, and Igbo land in particular, including EKpa’s sit-at-home order in the South East.

According to him, “The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has always believed that some faceless individuals in government and other unpatriotic elements who do not wish ndi Igbo well, and have been working hard with evil collaborators to truncate the scheduled 2023 General Elections in the South East are behind the purported sit-at-home order in the zone.

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“The scheduled February, 2023 Presidential election will be historic in Nigeria because we are optimistic that patriotic and progressive Nigerians will elect Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party as the next President of this country in a free, fair and credible election; hence evil and wicked elements must never be allowed to use the purported sit-at-home order to truncate next year general election.”

Similarly, the Forum’s Secretary, Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, stated that it is the firm view of Igbo elders that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is critical to South East peace initiatives, as well as the organization of a free, fair, and credible election in the zone next year.

“The moment Mr Kanu is released; no person will hide under IPOB and similar organizations to impose any draconian sit-at-home order on our people. We still ask the Federal Government to obey the unanimous and laudable ruling of the Court of Appeal and release our son Mr Nnamdi Kanu. The Court of Appeal had in a unanimous and historic judgment cleared Mr Kanu of the remaining 7 of the original 15 count-terrorism charges against him. Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court, FCT, Abuja had earlier quashed 8 of the original 15 charges against Mr Kanu. The honorable thing for the Federal Government to do now is to release Mr Kanu, and stop this wide goose appeal at the Supreme Court.”

IPOB Blasts Simon Ekpa, Bans Any Sit-at-home In South East

Speaking further, the Ezeigbo of Abuja, HRH Igwe (Dr.) Ibe Nwosu, stated that now that IPOB has publicly condemned and distanced itself from Ekpa’s sit-at-home order, the State Governors, as the chief security officers of the various states in the South East, must rise to their responsibility of ensuring effective protection of citizens’ lives and property, as well as freedom of movement of people and goods in the zone.

“The Governors should empower and sustain vigilante groups in the state to assist in the internal security maintenance in the South East. We also call on the traditional rulers, community and town union leaders, the clergy, youth organizations and other peace loving institutions and individuals to rise up to the challenge of ensuring not just free movement of people, goods and services in the South East, but also immediate casting of this draconian sit-at-home order permanently to the dustbin of history. The sit-at-home order must never be allowed to come back to the South East.”

The Igbo elders also called on the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to take appropriate measures to give a level playing ground for all the political parties and their candidates as well as conduct a free, fair and credible election in 2023.

Anambra Govt Asks Residents To Ignore Alleged IPOB’s Sit-at-home

“The people of the South East, both at home and in Diaspora, should all collect their permanent voters’ cards, PVCs, and ensure effective participation in the electoral process of next year,” they added.

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