TheCable

Garba Umar, the Anambra police commissioner, says the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) cannot stop the November 18 governorship election in the state.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, had recently said the election will not hold if the federal government fails to conduct a referendum on Biafra.

Umar who spoke with NAN on Saturday said IPOB had not claimed to have issued such threat apart from what was reported in the media.

He said the police in the state is capable of ensuring a peaceful election in Anambra.

“The election has been fixed by relevant federal government agency. Nobody can stop it. We have the capacity to provide a peaceful atmosphere in Anambra State for that election,” he said.

“I have not heard from IPOB that it would stop the election, apart from what was published in the media. But that is for the media.

“Nobody or group can issue such threat and succeed, because we have all it will take to subdue such threat. No group can do that. The people of the state have the right to have periodic elections to choose their leaders; nobody or group can stop them from exercising such right. We can’t allow it. It’s no done.

“We are fully on the ground and we can suppress such threats.”

Umar said the police in the state were consulting with relevant stakeholders in the state to ensure that there would peace during the poll.