Renowned human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged residents of the South-East to reject any directive to boycott the 2027 general elections.
Ejiofor described the proposed boycott as another “tragedy” that must not be allowed to happen in the region.
His reaction followed a 14-day ultimatum issued by IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate listing and hearing of the appeal against the conviction and life sentence of the group’s detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB had threatened to boycott the 2027 elections across the South-East and other parts of “Biafraland” if the demand was not met.
However, in a statement titled, “Ala-Igbo at a Crossroads: Jettisoning Electoral Boycott Before It Becomes Another Tragedy,” Ejiofor condemned the proposed boycott and urged the people to pursue their grievances through constitutional, judicial, political and democratic channels.
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He warned that electoral boycott could weaken the region’s political influence while its consequences would be borne by ordinary residents.
Ejiofor said, “Any directive advocating an electoral boycott, under whatever guise or euphemism it may be presented, must be unequivocally rejected.”
He added that the South-East had suffered enough and should not allow political grievances to be turned into actions capable of further damaging its peace and economy.
According to him, “A people do not preserve their homeland by rendering it ungovernable; they preserve it by protecting its peace, strengthening its institutions and relentlessly pursuing justice through every legitimate avenue available to them.”
Ejiofor further argued that patriotism should not involve deliberately weakening the people or sacrificing their livelihoods, insisting that the Igbo should not be dragged into another cycle of devastation.
He urged those speaking on behalf of the region to listen to the people and protect the peace of Ala-Igbo, stressing that the region must not be sacrificed for political absolutism.