By Ishola Adeleke, YeyeNews.com, September 27, 2021
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reached a deal with IPOB to allow the conduct of the November governorship election in the State, YeyeNews.com has learned.
According to security sources, the deal which enjoys the full blessing of the presidency gives IPOB members the sole responsibility to provide security during the election. Any Nigerian police or military personnel that will be permitted to operate must have an IPOB pass and take instructions directly from IPOB field commanders.
Sources within the presidency told YeyeNews.com that the president was initially hesitant in approving the deal but was eventually persuaded by the Mnister of Health Dr Chris Ngige in company of the Imo State governor. An aide of the Imo State governor who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that his boss wanted the deal sealed because IPOB has promised to cease their operations in Imo if the governor can convince the president to grant the group permission to provide security during the November Anambra governorship election.
“Governor Uzodinma has been trying to appease IPOB since he came to office. The governor wants peace in Imo but IPOB has not been interested in dialogue. So when they came up with this proposal, the governor did not think twice before he grabbed it. We hope that once this deal is formalized, peace will return to Imo State”, the source added.
An Intelligence source who was privy to the negotiations with IPOB told YeyeNews.com reporter that the secessionist group made a very strong case for their demand: “You know they already control Anambra and the other Southeast states by the effectiveness of their stay-at-home order. They have demonstrated that they possess the power of coercion over the people of the region.”
When YeyeNews.com reporter contacted INEC headquarter in Abuja, an INEC commissioner told our reporter that “INEC does not care who provides security as long as we can conduct the election safely.”
Dubem Duru, IPOB’s chief negotiator, told Yeyenews.com that they were very satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations. “This deal has proven our strength. All the efulefus and intellectuals can continue to blab but the IPOB family will keep moving. Mad people everywhere”, he declared.
An aide to the Anambra State governor told YeyeNews.com that though his boss was not part of the deal, he was very satisfied with the outcome. “Some people have been planning to rig the elections in collaboration with security agencies but now that IPOB will be providing security, they are not happy because their plans have been thwarted”, the aide told YeyeNews.com reporter.
It remains unclear how this deal will affect the ongoing trial of the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but a security source told our reporter that great efforts were made by both sides to separate the issues concerning IPOB leader from the negotiations.
