The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has threatened disciplinary measures against members it accused of challenging the authority of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as the organisation moves to address an escalating leadership crisis.
In a statement released by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group warned that any member or faction acting against Kanu’s directives or violating the organisation’s Code of Conduct would face sanctions, including suspension, removal from office and expulsion.
The warning comes amid a worsening dispute within the movement following the dissolution of the third administration of IPOB’s Directorate of State, led by Chika Edoziem, and the appointment of a new leadership structure headed by US-based Chris Nwaọgụ.
According to IPOB, Kanu used the powers granted to him under the organisation’s Code of Conduct to dissolve Edoziem’s administration and establish a fourth Directorate of State.
The group insisted that Kanu remains the only individual authorised to appoint, suspend or remove principal officers within IPOB.
“Any individual or group that persists in defying the lawful authority of the Supreme Leader, undermining the command-and-control structure of IPOB, or acting contrary to the Code of Conduct shall face severe disciplinary measures, including suspension, removal from office, and expulsion from the movement,” the statement read.
It added, “The era of indiscipline, constitutional recklessness, and unauthorised power-grabbing within IPOB is over. The authority of the Supreme Leader remains supreme, unquestionable, and binding on all members.”
IPOB further stated that the third Directorate of State administration no longer exists and that any actions taken by Edoziem or members of his former team after the dissolution are invalid.
“The 3rd Administration of the Directorate of State no longer exists. Its tenure has been terminated by lawful authority and its powers extinguished. Consequently, any directive, instruction, statement, appointment, suspension, or administrative action purportedly issued by Chika Edoziem or any member of the dissolved administration after its dissolution is null, void, and incapable of creating any legal or organisational consequence within IPOB,” the group said.
The development has brought renewed attention to internal disagreements within IPOB, the separatist movement seeking the restoration of an independent Biafra state in Nigeria’s South-East.
The organisation has experienced several leadership disputes since Kanu’s arrest and continued detention by the Nigerian government. Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges bordering on treasonable felony. He later fled Nigeria while on bail in 2017, before being rearrested in Kenya in June 2021 and subsequently returned to Nigeria.
Despite his detention and ongoing legal proceedings, IPOB has continued to maintain that Kanu remains its supreme leader with ultimate control over the affairs of the movement.
The dispute surrounding the Directorate of State leadership has emerged as one of the most serious internal challenges faced by IPOB in recent years, with different factions contesting legitimacy and authority within the organisation.
