As Anambra State goes to the polls tomorrow 18 November to (s)elect a new governor, supporters of the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have continued their campaign against elections in southeast Nigeria without a referendum on the secession of the region.
Two-term former governor Peter Obi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is backing the governorship bid of Oseloka Obazen tried to campaign yesterday at Mgbuka Market in Obosi and he was accosted by dozens of pro-Biafrans chanting in Igbo that anyone who votes should be sent to northern Nigeria (Ugwu Awusa).
Watch the incident below:
Obi seemed bemused by it all and his security detail didn’t attempt to stop the protesters. It was also interesting to note that none of them seemed to be flying Biafran flags. The Nigerian authorities threatened to arrest anyone seen with a Biafran flag after IPOB was banned in September, following a military raid of the home of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu has not been seen since that raid, with speculation rife that he was either captured or killed by the army, or escaped.
It remains unclear how IPOB’s boycott call will affect turnout tomorrow across Anambra State. However, turnout is notoriously low in Nigerian (s)election as serial governance failure has bred deep apathy among arguably the majority of voters.
