The Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) says it has started printing ballot papers, with which a referendum
would be conducted for the people of the South East to vote if to remain in
Nigeria or secede.
The group said it plans to hold
the referendum latter this year, and that it was determined to ensure that the
exercise took place without violence.
A press release by the Media and
Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Emma powerful called on the people of the
area to ignore rumours by sponsored individuals who have equated referendum to
call for war, saying that both were different.
He said, “Efforts geared towards
this first referendum is gathering unstoppable momentum with dates for the
exercise to be announced soon. 40 million ballot papers are being printed and
readied for distribution to every clan and village in Biafraland for all adults
over the age of 18 to express their preference.
“For those that set out to
mislead the populace by equating IPOB’s call for referendum as a call for war,
in order to mask their betrayal of the people, will no doubt find another
reason or excuse to object to this upcoming plebiscite.”
The group reminded that it would
not be the first time a referendum was going to be held in the country, as it
has been held previously, and did not amount to war either.
“It is worth reminding that on
the 11th February 1961, Nigeria conducted a referendum for the people of
Southern Cameroon to determine whether they wish to be part of Nigeria or merge
with the Francophone northern Cameroon.
“This referendum resulted in the
peaceful secession of the then NCNC controlled Anglophone Cameroon from
Nigeria. In other words, they voted to leave Nigeria for good. That was
democracy in action not war.
“No war was fought and no ethnic
group was threatened with annihilation. If those parading themselves as
leaders, with their much touted academic accomplishments, are not aware of this
relatively modern history, then the pervading ignorance in Nigeria, occasioned
by the spectacular collapse of the education system, is more generational than
earlier thought.
“If those that claim to be the
elite in the society cannot reference Southern Cameroons as a case where
referendum resolved an intractable issue, then their supposed elitism is
founded on pure fantasy.
“Again, on the 13th of July 1963,
Nigeria conducted another referendum which led to the creation of the defunct
Mid-west from the supposedly Yoruba dominated Western region. The old
Mid-Western region comprised of parts of today’s Delta and Edo states. No war
was fought, no ethnic group was threatened with extinction.
“Those that canvassed for a
referendum then were not labeled war mongers. It speaks of the magnitude of
prevailing ignorance in Nigeria that people are in this age unaware of the fact
that referendum has been used in Nigeria before to resolve a seemingly
intractable issue.”
The group, therefore, alerted
that plans were at advanced stages in preparation for the first in its
three-stage referendum process towards the peaceful, non-violent restoration of
the nation of Biafra.
It said, “Our decision to hold
the first of the three plebiscite later this year has vindicated IPOB’s
resilience in sticking to the principles of non-violent agitation for Biafra,
in the face of government brutality and treachery from enemies within.”
Through this age-long democratic
process, IPOB said, it shall return power to the long suffering downtrodden
masses, to enable them determine their destiny which it said was cruelly taken
away by successive Nigerian governments.
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