More troubles for the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as Coalition of Anambra Pro-Democracy Lawyer, under the aegis of Anambra Lawyers in Defence of Democracy [ASLADD] wrote Governor Willie an open letter warning him of the grave consequences that would sooner than later befall the state if he refuses to reign in what they described as the “impunity of anarchist” before it is too late. The Lawyers accused the IPOB of acts of “outlawry” aimed at striking terror in the minds of the citizens who would love to go out and discharge their civil duty.A full copy of the letter is found below:

THE 2017 ANAMBRA STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION AND THE IMPERATIVE OF ENDING THE IMPUNITY OF ANARCHISTS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
The above subject matter refers.

INTRODUCTION:

We, ANAMBRA STATE LAWYERS IN DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY [ASLADD], bring you warmest greetings from our constituency

BACKGROUND FACTS

The State is now due for another governorship election which the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission [henceforth in this article called the INEC], has slated the date of the epic contest to be 18th November, 2017.

It is now a public knowledge that you have picked your nomination form in other to square up with many opponents from other political parties. The atmosphere is gradually heating up. This is understandable. Now, we have the Indigenous People of Biafra [henceforth in this article political epic battle coming up. This is so not because the IPOB is a registered political party called the IPOB]. They [the IPOB] are now concededly a factor in the under the Nigerian laws. The IPOB is not even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria and therefore enjoys no legal entity in the Nigerian nation.

However, the IPOB activities and the consequences flowing therefrom now transcend both political/geographical boundaries. The Leader of the IPOB, Maazi Nnamdi Kanu, has taken a decision and consequently issued a directive to the effect that elections would no longer hold in Biafraland. No doubt, both your humble self and the members of ASLADD are all Biafrans. To this extent, it is therefore correct to state that no one man or group can lay claim to being more Biafran than the others.

OBJECTIVE OF THE LETTER:
The fulcrum of this urgent letter has been donated by the strident opposition mounted by the IPOB to the conduct of the 2017 Governorship election in Anambra state. We have chosen to write you on this principally because we are involved. We are involved because we too are Anambrarians. We are involved because democracy has come under imminent threat in our beloved State. We are involved because the future of every nation’s democracy lies on the shoulders of lawyers. We are involved because lawyers are saddled with the sacred and abiding duties of enlightening the society, upholding the rule of law and defending our constitution [which is the most sacred document] that holds our nation in balance and in being. We are involved because it is our incontestable right to contribute in defining and protecting the future in which we will live and raise our kids. It is now clearly beyond any scintilla of argument that we have a legitimate interest in whatever plays out on the political scene of Anambra State of Nigeria.

THE MEAT OF THE MATTER:
Your Excellency Sir, A boycott is an act of voluntary and intentional abstention from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for social, political, or environmental reasons. If the IPOB had stopped at directing its members to abstain from the polls, perhaps the present open letter would not have been of any moment. But they did not stop at that. They have now gone physical. In Onitsha, video evidence abound how IPOB members have interrupted state activities where the governor went for a football tournament. On another occasion, the Governorship aspirant under the PPA platform, Chief Godwin Ezemo, was confronted at a rally by the IPOB. Only recently, the IPOB members invaded and desecrated St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area, where the Governor was to worship. From the account of the State Commissioner of Police, it took greater restraint and discipline on the part of the Governor’s security details to stave off what would have been a harvest of human casualties. Still recently, we read in the news that a coalition of militants have issued a stern warning to Anambrarians, to stay away from the polls on the 18th of November, 2017 or pay dearly for daring to defy the order of Maazi Nnamdi Kanu. All these are deliberate acts aimed at striking terror in the minds of ordinary citizens who have made up their minds to go out and discharge their civic duty.
It is now clear that going further to disrupt electioneering processes [like football tournaments, campaign rallies] and invading and desecrating the sacred places of worship [as witnessed in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Ekwulobia] are acts clearly outside the meaning of the word “boycott”. Those are acts of outlawry. They are forerunners of anarchy. Anarchy is antithetical to democracy. Anarchists are anti-democratic forces that must be opposed whether in Nigeria or Biafraland. Anambra State has values that distinguish it from the lots. We cherish democracy and its pristine values one of which is freedom of thought and speech. We are republican. We abhor anarchy and view tyranny with disgust! People who wish to deal with us must respect our values.
Your Excellency, it is important to point out that in every democracy, while the minority will always have their say, the majority will have their way. In every democracy, no one man has the monopoly of the knowledge of what is good for a people. A people even have the right [in every democracy] to reject what is good for them. Advocates of election boycott must begin to learn, accept and live with this democratic truth. We pray that those who are actively seeking to return our dear Anambra state to the wasteful and inglorious days of Mbadinuju be dismayed and turned back. This is because, they are our enemies. For seeking to precipitate anarchy in the state of the iconic departed Supreme Leader of Biafra [His Excellency Dim Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu], they are enemies of Biafraland. They have no respect for the cherished memories of our departed Supreme Leader who [in his matchless wisdom] established APGA as a political party in the Nigerian Federation. A party which the current IPOB Leader [Nnamdi Kanu] once headed its UK Chapter. Nnamdi Kanu has not told us what has changed between then and now.

ANAMBRA BU NKE ANYI. EBE ONYE BI KA ONA-AWACHI:

Call it pride, call it immodesty, we are confident in announcing that Anambra State ranks first ahead of all other South-Eastern States in all the indices of good governance and in distribution of dividends of democracy to the citizens. This is a state with the best network of roads in the whole of the Nigerian federation and the least indebted state. From the inglorious era of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, tremendous efforts have been made to gloriously change the narratives of Leadership model from the time of Dr. Chris Ngige, Mr. Peter Obi and now Dr. Willie Obiano. All these superlative achievements would not have been possible but for the wonderful and well-informed choices made during periodic elections by Anambra citizens. It is therefore a most unfortunate irony and comical that individuals from states that are known to be afflicted with infrastructural bankruptcy and cursed with pronounced leadership convulsion would be seen advising Anambrarians to avoid the polls scheduled for 18th November, 2017. They should tell it to the marines.
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE:
In signing off our letter, we wish to remind Your Excellency that you are the Chief Security of Officer [C.S.O.] of this State. All the instruments and legitimate authority of the state are at your disposal. Your hand should be strengthened by this singular fact. May your Administration never go down in history as first democratic government that was put in abeyance owing to the declaration of state of emergency in Anambra state as a result of avoidable security breaches. That would cast a pall of darkness on an administration which has so far carved out a niche for making Anambra the safest state in the whole federation. Such ignominy would be a sad footnote to the sterling achievements so far recorded by your administration. Such sore thumb must be cut off before it becomes gangrenous.
Please, Sir, do graciously accept the warmest assurances of our highest esteem.
Yours in defence of democracy,

Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi, Esq,
Convener.