IPOB demands referendum on Nigeria’s political future

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has called for a referendum to allow Nigerians and the various constituent peoples of the country to determine their preferred political future.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group argued that the 2027 general elections alone would not resolve what it described as longstanding constitutional and political questions in Nigeria.

IPOB said it believed a referendum would provide an opportunity for the people to express their views on the structure and future of the country through a democratic process.

The group referred to previous referendums in other countries, including the United Kingdom, as examples of how questions concerning political arrangements could be subjected to popular decision-making.

IPOB also cited previous statements attributed to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan on the need to address Nigeria’s political and constitutional challenges.

According to the group, elections and referendums serve different purposes, with elections focusing on the choice of political office holders, while a referendum could allow citizens to directly decide a specific constitutional or political question.

IPOB questioned why its demand for a referendum on self-determination should be treated differently from other calls for popular consultation on the future of a country.

The group therefore urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to consider a peaceful and democratic process through which the various constituent peoples of Nigeria could express their preferences on the country’s political structure and future.

It stressed that its position, as presented in the statement, was a call for a political and democratic process rather than an endorsement of violence.

IPOB called on Nigerians to engage the issue through dialogue and other lawful democratic means.