The apex Igbo organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has made an appeal to President Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to permit Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to address the people of the South-East before the upcoming 2023 General Elections. This request was communicated by the organization’s Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro. He expressed the belief that allowing Kanu to speak would help reduce the violence currently plaguing the region.
Isiguzoro specifically addressed the activities of gunmen linked to Simon Ekpa, asserting that there is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the 2023 elections in the South-East through Ekpa’s actions. He stated, “This madness of sit-at-home and incessant killings and insecurity we are witnessing in the Southeast can be traced to the continuous incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, which Simon Ekpa is taking undue advantage of.” He characterized Ekpa as an opportunist seeking fame and fortune, exploiting Kanu’s detention to enrich himself at the expense of the South-East community.
To combat the turmoil caused by Ekpa, Isiguzoro urged the President to allow Kanu to address the Ndigbo, ideally in February before the elections. He warned of a grand conspiracy by external enemies of the Igbo people, who are allegedly using Ekpa to incite an election boycott in the region. “The only cure to this madness of Simon Ekpa is for Buhari to allow Kanu, even if it’s a five-minute broadcast,” he stated, emphasizing that Kanu has consistently communicated through his lawyers that the violence and insecurity in the South-East must come to an end.
Isiguzoro further noted that the ongoing activities of unknown gunmen, instigated by Ekpa, should cease. He suggested that the lack of impact from Kanu’s messages is due to public skepticism regarding their authenticity. To ensure a peaceful election, he reiterated that the Federal Government should facilitate a brief broadcast for Nnamdi Kanu to address the people of the South-East, asserting that this would help put an end to Ekpa’s disruptive influence.
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