Nigerian Elections Are Over, But Should They Be Forever Over In Biafra Territory?

  Nigerian Elections Are Over, But Should They Be Forever Over In Biafra Territory? 

The above question is borne out as a matter of sincere curiosity and necessity, in consonance with what that has transpired over the years in Nigeria since 1962 – when the first Post-Independence census was conducted. But, more significantly what happened this year 2023, during the presidential general election and the subsequent governorship election which was concluded few days ago in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi State respectively.

As usual, the elections were characterised with violence and unimaginable state fraud against the helpless electorates. Rigging and Electoral malpractices was brazen and unapologetic. In Imo State, police officers were responsible for ballot snatching and political thuggery. The officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) went to polls with already filled and written ballot sheets, and the modern Digital Vote Counting Machines/Mechanisms (BVAS, IREV) were reported to have malfunctioned on the get go, as obtained also during the presidential elections in February.

The truth is that recounting the ills and abnormalities that occurred in the Nigeria 2023 Elections is exhaustive and disgusting at same time. But it is important to document them, for posterity and referral purposes.

For what it is worth, The Indigenous People Of Biafra movement, took a neutral posture in the seasonal elections which commenced from November 2021- November 2023, unlike its initial policy of election boycott it has applied in yesteryears. This neutral standing was inspired by the popular enthusiasm of the masses in the East, who were convinced that they could exact the desired change with their voting cards – although they were admonished against that beforehand. 

Yet, even at that, IPOB still encouraged and maintained that the will of the people should be respected. And in the recent Imo elections, IPOB emphatically warned that the subversive tendencies of INEC and its officials can no longer be tolerated, and should they go with their nefarious plans there would be consequences. Unfortunately, INEC went on with those plans and rigged the polls in favor of a stooge who was Imposed on the people of Imo State by the supreme Court, four years ago.

Thus, on this premise shall we make our inferences. 

For years, the IPOB movement has endured overtures by the political class mostly from the Eastern stock to withdraw her policies of boycott during elections, most of which they movement caved to, and lifted the boycott orders in exchange for certain negotiated political/economic deal with the Federal government for people of Eastern Nigeria. Most of these deals never came through after IPOB had lifted the boycotts or opted for neutrality.

The most recent of them was the infamous "2023 Igbo presidency" campaigns – which as a result, led to the Illegal Proscription Of IPOB by the Southeast Governor's forum and Ohaneze Ndigbo and the bloody massacres that followed suit. They did not only fail at achieving the objective, they never accounted nor explained to the people why they failed till this moment.

Rather, they are engaged in shifting the blame on the crop of leaders who were at the helm of leadership at the time, as the ones responsible for the failure. But, was this not supposed to be an Institutional goal, instead of certain individuals or personality's project? This goes to show the level of irresponsibility which the political elites from the East exhibits. This also indicates that those advising IPOB to go all the way into the Nigerian politics as the easiest means to achieve her objectives, will immediately back out when the chicken comes home to roost. Abandoning her at the crossroads.

In light to the forgoing, it is imperative for the sake of securing lives and properties of the People in Eastern Nigeria who are always at the receiving end of the institutional rascality, manipulations and destructions done by the political class or their recruited agents during elections, that IPOB bans the activities of INEC across Biafra territory and further sealing off its offices. Rather than just calling for boycotts or no elections occasionally. The very Institution that facilitates the fraud and travesty every four years, should cease operations in the East until meaningful reforms are conducted in the system.

This method does not connote the application of Violent attacks on the INEC infrastructures or its personnel rather through systemic and Conventional, legal means in line with International laws of self-defense and preservation of lives and properties. Just like the formation of Eastern Security Network, which was borne out of necessity, to curb the menace of the rampaging Fulani terror herdsmen, after the Nigerian security forces failed to do so.

This in any way does not also affect IPOB's status as a non-violent Self-determination Movement which is still demanding for a United Nations supervised referendum. IPOB is not against any democratic process, but reserves the right objects to any process whereby those citizens she fights for their emancipation, are indiscriminately sacrificed for the benefits of the gluttonous minority. And the Western countries who readily claims to be the pioneers of modern democracy, but failed to intervene in sheer ineptitude and mediocrity going on in Nigeria perpetrated by the political class against the incapacitated masses, also has a disproportionate amount of blame to take.

Written By Family Writers Press International.