Ipob members force Anambra's Governor Willie Obiano to flee from church service

ANAMBRA State governor Willie Obiano had to flee from church yesterday after being confronted by Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) supporters who challenged him over plans to hold elections in the state come November 18.

In November, Anambrans go to the polls with Governor Obiano standing for re-election but Ipob has insisted that the elections should be cancelled unless a referendum is held on the actualisation of Biafra. Like many other secessionist groups in Igboland, Ipob wants to see the recreation of the defunct republic of Biafra that existed briefly between July 1967 and January 1970.

More moderate Igbo groups like Ohaneze Ndigbo and elders such as Governor Obiano, have however, cautioned Ipob against its militant stand, saying opposing elections would be counter-productive. Yesterday, the matter came to a head at the St Joseph Church, Ekwulobia,  in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State where Governor Obiano had gone to worship.

Hardly had the governor arrived and settled down when some youths and women, who were adorned in Ipob insignia began chanting Biafran songs. They besieged the gate of the church shouting “No election in Anambra State, we want referendum, no referendum, no election.”

Advancing in droves towards the gate of the church, the governor’s security detail rushed and locked up the entrance. It is believed that his security detail later smuggled the out through the back of the church.

One source said: “As their confrontation with the police continued, the Ipob numbers continued to enlarge and I think they were reinforced from Onitsha. As their number continued to increase, the governor’s security operatives had to smuggle him out of the church.”

However, one of the governor's spokesmen said: “The governor was not smuggled out of the church. The issue was that the security men had to stop the agitators at the gate of the church, when they started shouting no election, no election.

“The governor even addressed the issue while speaking to the congregation and he assured them that there would be election in the state. He said nobody could stop election in Anambra State, adding that most of the anti- election protesters are not from Anambra State.”

Anambra State police commissioner Garba Umar, confirmed the incident, warning that the police would no longer tolerate such impunity. He said the intension of the protesters was to attack the governor.

Mr Garba said: “Why should they protest to the church? The church is a place of worship and not a place of protest, so it is obvious that they had criminal intentions to attack the governor."

According to Mr Garba, the police had to stop them at the gates bit if they had dared his men, it would have been a different story.  About two weeks ago, a group of youths, suspected to be Ipob members, disrupted a church function attended by the governorship candidate of the Progressives People's Alliance Godwin Ezeemo, in Odoekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.