The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has urged Imo residents to disregard the sit-at-home directive on election day and actively participate in voting for their preferred candidates.
The President General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, in a press statement encouraged the people to exercise their voting rights despite threats of a total sit-at-home order from November 9 to 12.
On Thursday night, the factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, declared that Biafrans would abstain from participating in the election.
He made this statement on his X handle in response to an incident involving an attack on the Bayelsa State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bara Daniel.
The assault, stemming from a dispute between supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the PDP over the storage location of election materials, took place at Twon Brass jetty in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State during the offloading of INEC materials. Online photos revealed injuries and bloodstains on the PDP chairman.
Reacting, Ekpa said, “This is how they kill each other and call it election. No Biafran will die in Imo State because they will not come out.”
While addressing Ekpa’s statement, Iwuanyanwu, on behalf of the Ohanaeze urges residents to ignore the sit-at-home directive and go out to vote.
He said, “I wish to appeal to all the Imo people to turn out en masse to cast their votes for any candidate of their choice.
“I have been told that some people have issued threats prohibiting Imo people from coming out to cast their votes. In fact, I understand that this group has issued a total sit-at-home order from November 9, to November 12, 2023.
“If Imo people should comply with this, there will be no election in Imo State and that will create chaos.
“I am, therefore, with every sense of responsibility and love, appealing to the leader of this group to rescind his decision to order a sit-at-home.’’
