Punch
Three candidates in the Anambra governorship election slated for November 6 have called for dialogue with the Indigenous People of Biafra, a group agitating for the secession of the South-East from Nigeria.
This was during a Live Debate organised by Arise News on Monday which had in attendance the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Andy Uba; that of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, Professor Charles Soludo and Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The agitation by IPOB currently threatens the November 6 election as the group has declared a one-week sit-at-home in the South-East to demand the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The one-week sit-at-home, a similar order which the people of the South-East have been observing every Monday, will commence November 5, which is just a day to the Anambra governorship election.
Asked to speak on IPOB and their agitation, Uba said, “I believe in engagement. If you don’t engage them, how will you know what their problem is? I believe in engagement to dialogue, because their problem is work.”
Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said the group deserves to be heard.
According to him, “I’m on record to have said that IPOB deserves to be heard, that the agitation cannot be shot down by a gun.”
He continued, “We need to have a dialogue, bring everybody to the table and discuss those specific issues that are their agitation.”
On his part, Ozigbo blamed the federal and state governments for the way the group’s agitation has turned out.
He said, “There are certain things IPOB does through agitation that I support. But when they get to some extreme, I condemn them.
“The real issue is where is the heart of all of this? If not for the way the states and the federal government have handled IPOB, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
“Let’s start by accepting responsibility. We created extremism, so we need the right person to inspire hope for that dialogue to happen.
“When they see you as the problem already, you can’t be the one to negotiate.”
He went on to call for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu and for the group to be de-proscribed by government.
On insecurity in Anambra, Soludo said it “is politically motivated”.
“There are some people who think that they gain a political advantage by creating a sense of fear and insecurity so that they will have voters suppression,” he said.
On voter apathy that threatens the coming election, Uba said such had always been the case when it comes to elections in Anambra…
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