Stay Out of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Contest, IPOB tells Okiro *Says he's from Imo, not Rivers

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By Madu Obi

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a stern warning to former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, to stay out of the forthcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo presidential election, telling him that he is from Imo State and not Rivers as he wants to claim.

Rivers State is expected to produce the next President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, in a statement said the group is aware of Okiro's purported endorsement by a faceless group called "Ogbako Egbema" to contest for the position of President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

According to IPOB, some influential individuals in the Imo State government are behind the move to hoist Okilo, which, it stated, is aimed at disrupting the zoning structure of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and decimating the organization.

It viewed Okiro's potential candidacy as an attempt to reinforce the narrative that Igboland is irretrievably divided and can never be united under a common political purpose, emphasizing that the contest for the next President General slot is reserved for Igbos in Rivers State, and that Okiro, being from Imo State, should not allow himself to be used to destroy the cohesion of the Igbo race.

The group warned that anyone or group trying to drag Okiro into contesting against Rivers State Igbos would be resisted and held accountable by the people.

IPOB said the era of allowing Ohanaeze Ndigbo to drift and serve as a tool for the enemies of Ndigbo to control their political destiny has come to an end.

In another development, the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), a frontline Igbo think tank, has warned against the imposition of Okiro as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, citing the need for a fair and transparent process .

The ADF called on Rivers State Ohanaeze Ndigbo to ensure that due process is followed and that the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is respected.