IPOB can't stop Anambra gov race – Obiano

The Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Willie Obiano, has requested that Nigerians not take the danger by the Indigenous People of Biafra to stop the approaching governorship race in the state serious. 

He said while government would not enable such to happen, IPOB itself was likewise not going to complete the risk.

Obiano, who is looking for ticket of his political gathering, the All Progressives Grand Alliance to challenge the race, additionally demanded that the killings in a Catholic church in Ozubulu town in the state were not done by either the Boko Haram psychological militant gathering or individuals upsetting for seccession in the South-East.


The governor spoke with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday when he visited the national headquarters of the party to pick his nomination form.

He gloated that he would win the November 18 race.

Whenever inquired as to whether he didn't nurture any dread that IPOB could upset the race, Obiano stated, “That is not correct. They did not say there will not be any election. By the way, yesterday (Monday) you would have heard the war veterans who met with me, these are the people who fought the war, 87 of them.

“They were at the lodge to meet me and what they said was that they would support the election and they had endorsed my election on the second term journey.

“The leader of that group, Gen. Lathucia, most of you should know him, is the brains behind IPOB. So that comment that election won’t take place in Anambra, let me begin to dissipate that now.

“They didn’t say that and there would be election in Anambra. Nobody can stop election in Anambra when INEC has already mapped out the timetable. We would not even allow anybody to do that, to stop election in Anambra State, we won’t allow that.”

On the Ozubulu killings, the governor said, “Let me make this point: Ozubulu killings are not the kind of terrorism you know, it is not by Boko haram or anybody.

“Again, it is not by people agitating for separation. It was a feud between two gangsters that live outside Nigeria. They killed themselves over there and they decided to come home and both of them are from that village where the church was built.

“We have picked up some guys and very soon, I’m very confident that we are going to pick up the guy that did the killings dead or alive. “

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday said nothing would stop the governorship election in Anambra State scheduled for November 18.

It said the commission was prepared to gather information.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Nkwachukwu Orji, expressed this at a partners' gathering held at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women's Development Center, Awka.

He guaranteed the general population of a straightforward, free, reasonable and sound election in the state.