Igbo elder statesman and former Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee, Chief Ralph Obioha, has stated that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by the detained Nnamdi Kanu, is against boycott of the 2023 general elections.

Obioha, in a statement, yesterday, said that it was for this reason that he called on Ndigbo to ignore calls for boycott of the general elections and prepare to vote despite hindrances.

He also called on those pushing for the self-destructive election boycott to retrace their steps.

Disclosing why Igbo elder statesmen are solidly behind the presidential bid of Peter Obi, Obioha, a former member of the House of Representatives and one time presidential aspirant, stated: “It is not merely because Obi is Igbo, but because he possesses the character and fitness to be president.”

Obioha stated that his statement was necessitated by major issues he considered critical and germane to the 2023 general elections, and what the conduct or outcome of the election portends for the corporate existence of Nigeria.

According to him, the first issue is the epochal candidacy of Obi, which, he said, has taken the entire nation by storm, adding: “The Obi phenomenon is so revolutionary and swift that in just few months, he has come to be seen by many as the candidate to beat.”

Reacting to innuendoes from familiar quarters that ranking Igbo elder statesmen such as himself are not behind Obi, Obioha, who was late Chief Moshood Abiola’s political ally, described this notion as far from the truth.

He said: “The truth is that Igbo elder statesmen did not wish to be seen as jumping out to support Obi just because he is Igbo.

“We simply took our time to study major candidates before we decided that Obi is topnotch, and should be supported without equivocation.”

The second issue is the rising fear that Igbo votes might be suppressed by the rhetoric on election boycott, which, he stated, emanated from a disaffected high-ranking member of IPOB based overseas.

He noted that in combination with the rising violence in South East, any rhetoric on election boycott in the region will likely affect turnout of voters on election day.

Obioha, therefore, called on Igbo leaders to unite behind calls for the release of Kanu before the election, not only because he deserves his freedom, but also because that will obliterate justification offered by those calling for election boycott.