TheCable

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) says the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has not weakened the group.

CDD said this in reaction to IPOB’s threat to Anambra voters. The group had asked people of the state to shun the poll, threatening that anyone who votes “will die”.

In a report it released on Monday, CDD said the proscription of any group does not stop it from functioning.

It also advised the federal government not to use force during the election, saying such would affect the turn-out of voters.

“Both the state and federal governments must not assume that the proscription of the group has weakened it in the scheme of things’ because proscription does not stop organisations from functioning,” the report read.

“IPOB may attempt to enforce its call for boycott of the election at all cost and using all means to achieve that. This may lead to an outcome that threatens democracy not just in Anambra State but also in the south-east and indeed the country as a whole.

“Not all members of the community, however, believe that secession is the best option so the way the security forces operate will have consequences for which side increases its support.

“It is also important to note that if IPOB engages in violence and disrupts the election and their activities lead to a declaration of a state of emergency on Anambra state, it is IPOB that will lose its social capital.

“There are already a number of unhappy citizens in Anambra state who believe that IPOB has singled their state as a guinea pig that will make them the only Igbo state without an elected governor in the South-east. Such an outcome, desired by IPOB would trigger a constitutional crisis as the term of the governor would have elapsed and a sole administrator will have to be appointed by the federal government.

“Imposing state of emergency on Anambra state if violence erupts and if the election fails to hold will cost IPOB and the state more than they can imagine.

“It is therefore imperative that the federal government avoid the use of force and especially militarization of the state to avoid low voter turn-out and also to avoid violence or a face-off with the remnants of the proscribed IPOB secessionist movement.”

CDD said six LGAs may witness low voter turnout if the IPOB carries out its threat of boycott and disruption of the electoral process.

It said these LGAs are the “strongholds” of IPOB.

“What this means, therefore, is that the election would hold in many LGAs but it may witness poor voter turnout or total boycott in the strongholds of IPOB in areas such as Ogbaru, Onitsha north and south, Oyi, and Idemili south,” it said.