THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has replied Governor Okezie Ikpeazu over the alleged comments in an interview he granted to BBC Igbo Service in the Government House Umuahia that, its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu reneged on the agreement the South East Governors reached with him.
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, accused the military of plotting against Kanu and actually carried out assassination attempt on his life, when they invaded his Afara-ukwu Umuahia home, and allegedly opened fire on the compound where many people lost their lives.
IPOB challenged Governor Ikpeazu “to publish whatever material at his disposal that will lend credence to his assertions, chiefly that our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu reneged on agreement reached with South East governors.
“We also challenge Governor Ikpeazu to tell the world, where, when and with whom he met Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or his claims will be taken as lies against IPOB and the people of Umuahia and Abia State in general.”
IPOB alleged Ikpeazu’ was acting to impress the powers that be at Aso Rock and Northern leaders he thinks will facilitate his second tenure in office as Abia State Governor.
“IPOB is placing Nigerians and the world on notice that Governor Ikpeazu has never met with our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite the fact that Government House Umuahia sits on his ancestral land with his father as the traditional ruler.
“We are equally telling Nigerians and the world, that Governor Ikpeazu plotted with the military that invaded Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s house in Afara Ukwu Umuahia to assassinate him and should not be taken serious when he makes certain comments against IPOB and the people of Abia State, because his popularity in the state is waning since that plot against the life of our leader.
“He has since then been doing everything possible to please the presidency and his northern friends whom he thinks will guarantee his second tenure in office, instead of the Abia electorate, forgetting that none of the South East governors has made such shameful allegation against Mazi Kanu, because they know the truth that Nigerian government botched the meeting and the possible agreement that would have been reached with an attempt to assassinate Kanu.”
IPOB’s statement further read:
“It will be in his best interest and that of his northern handlers to publish whatever material at his disposal that will lend credence to his assertions, chiefly that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu reneged on agreements reached with him and other South East governors, during the interview he granted to BBC Igbo Service in the Government House Umuahia.
“These distortion of facts against Mazi Kanu the IPOB leader, were well orchestrated plan conceived prior to Operation Python Dance 2 which the southeast governors initiated with leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to damage the image of our leader.
“Governor Okezie Ikpeazu failed to understand that the highly respected and foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze was at the meeting between Nnamdi Kanu and Igbo governors which he Okezie Ikpeazu did not attend.”
Vanguard
