the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra state draws near, legal practitioners from the state have asked the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to check the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to ensure a hitch-free election in the state.
The lawyers, in a letter addressed to the AGF, expressed the fear that the no referendum, no election agitation by IPOB is exposing the Igbo to another war, which they held is unacceptable.
Operating under the auspices of Anambra State Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (ASLADD), the lawyers said the actions of IPOB constitute a grave threat to the operation of the Nigerian Constitution in the Eastern part of Nigeria, especially in Anambra State.
The letter signed by the convener of the group, Barrister Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi and titled, “Anambra 2017 election and Biafra agitation: The need for your office to robustly rise in defence of our constitutional democracy and half the impunity of charlatans”, accused the IPOB’s self-acclaimed leader, Nnamdi Kan of issuing a directive to the effect that elections would no longer hold in Biafra land.
According to the letter, IPOB has no right to disrupt the Anambra election because, it is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria, adding that the exercise of the right to vote is tied to the discretion of each citizen and as such, Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently facing treasonable felony charges before the Federal High Court, Abuja cannot stop them.
The letter dated August 14, 2017, a copy of which was made available to newsmen yesterday reads in part, “The Nnmadi Kanu led IPOB are always quick to raise the green banner of “non-violence” and take refuge under its canopied ambience whereas their official dissemination channel, Radio Biafra, is a flowing river of hate-speeches, incitement to violence and war.
“Hate speech leads to war and war leads to deaths and, therefore, IPOB preaches violence. In the South-East [especially in Onitsha which is our commercial nerve center], the IPOB miscreants extort money from traders after intimidating them.
“IPOB hoodlums illegally mount roadblocks to force other citizens to buy their Biafra flags and insignia not minding whether such citizens subscribe to their separatist ideology or whether such citizens have the money to pay for the said flags.
“They harass citizens and threaten them with violence. Indeed, they have a rich history of mischief. This is potentially dangerous. No referendum, no election IPOB is exposing the Igbo to another war and this is unacceptable”, they said.
“As the Chief Law Officer of the country and the number one defender of our constitution and rule of law, you will agree with us that all these acts complained of, rudely strike at the root of democracy.
“These acts complained of mostly draw their inspiration from the activities of Nnamdi Kanu who has literally rumpled all the conditions to which his bail was tied and is now revelling in contempt of the Federal High Court with unprecedented and scandalous impunity.
“This ugly and fast-degenerating state of affairs, if not checked will mark the beginning of the collapse of the economy of our dear state and indeed the South-East in general.
“We cannot afford it especially in the light of the fact that the South-East is already disadvantaged in so many indices of good governance”.
The letter also drew the attention of the AGF to the rising wave of violent crimes in Anambra State, which they noted, has never been witnessed in the entire history of the state.
The lawyers urged the AGF to deploy all the instruments and powers of his office to deal with the purveyors of hate-speeches, terminate the pastime of anarchists and promptly commence a high-powered clinical investigation into the activities of the IPOB.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
