Simon Ekpa, a controversial follower of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has again threatened supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
He said the former Anambra governor did not “represent Biafran interest” and should not “distort the Biafra dream,” noting that “everything will be done to resist’ Obi.
He spoke during a now-deleted live broadcast on Saturday morning, monitored by our correspondent. The transmission aired on Ekpa’s private Facebook account and had over 2,000 participants.
Ekpa, who is said to be based in Finland, had since threatened that, as long as Kanu remained in detention, sit-at-home actions in the South-East region would not cease, adding that elections in the South-East region would also not hold.
Kanu and the Igbo community in Finland have since disowned Ekpa, saying he did not represent them and should not be listened to.
A petition was also started on a global petition website, change.org, with thousands of petitioners calling for Ekpa’s arrest and prosecution for inciting violence from the Diaspora.
Despite all that, Ekpa continues to issue threat messages to anyone ‘opposing Biafra’ using social media as a tool.
Also, multiple reports have shown that the region’s woes have multiplied with attacks and counter-attacks by gunmen, especially against Obi’s supporters, in the heat of the campaigns.
In a trending video on Monday, a middle-aged man was quizzed by gunmen, suspected to be militias of IPOB, for wearing an LP shirt and cap.
“What has Peter Obi done for you? If we see you with these clothes again, we will waste (kill) you,” one of the gunmen warned.
In the Saturday broadcast, Ekpa said, “All those making a case for Peter Obi. If you follow these people (Obi’s supporters), you know they are deceiving us. They want to send us to an early grave. How can you follow the advice of a confused person who doesn’t know his left from his right?
“I want you people to see the confusion in their brains. The problem is that Obi’s supporters are tribalistic. They are emotional. There is no way you want to talk about this country without making mistakes. How can they be preaching one Nigeria to us? They are not honest people. That is why we have said there will be no election in the South-East, and that is final.
“(Peter) Obi supporters don’t want to identify with the struggles of Ndigbo and they are still telling us about ‘One Nigeria’. They are deceiving themselves in this evil set-up.
“Anyone that opens their mouth to speak about Nigeria and Peter Obi is going to be exposed. All these other people supporting Obi will be disgraced. If you want Peter Obi, go and vote for him in the North. But, no election will hold in Biafraland,” he added.
Meanwhile, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has begged Ekpa and his followers to exercise restraint and sheathe their swords for the greater good.
In a short chat with Sunday PUNCH, the spokesperson for the group, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said, “I beg our brother, Simon Ekpa, and all his followers to, please, not ruin our chances. They should sheathe their swords and allow their brothers to vote. We are all from one family and a win for Obi is a win for all Nigerians.”
Credit: Punch