Nigeria: Pro-Biafra group calls for election boycott November 18

Event

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a Biafran separatist group, has called for a boycott of the planned gubernatorial elections in Anambra state on Saturday, November 18. The group has encouraged sympathizers to remain home on polling day to support Biafran secession. During a march in Onitsha last week, IPOB supporters reportedly threatened violence against anyone in the state who does attempt to vote, and demanded that the Nigerian government release the missing IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who they claim is actually in government custody. IPOB has, however, reiterated its non-violent stance, and has denounced its designation as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government, suggesting the government is attempting to sow discord in the group's support base. Political violence and consequent traffic disruptions are possible in the coming days in Anambra state ahead of the November 18 elections.

Context

The ongoing situation is the latest in a series of escalating conflicts between Biafra separatists and the central Nigerian government. Most recently, tensions between the pro-secession IPOB and the Nigerian government have escalated after IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu went missing in mid-September after Nigerian soldiers allegedly invaded his home. The Nigerian government claims that Kanu remains in self-imposed hiding to flee justice, as he failed to show up in court for a trial in mid-October.

Since Kanu's original arrest in October 2015 for conspiracy to commit treason, protesters have demanded both his release and an independent Biafra, and have repeatedly clashed with security forces. Kanu was released on bail in late April 2017. However, recent reports from Radio Biafra suggest that the group may be fracturing, which could weaken the movement's overall impact.

The so-called Biafra region includes various southeastern (Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi) and southern states (Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Cross River). The region is inhabited largely by the mostly Christian Igbos tribe. The region seceded from Nigeria on May 30, 1967, to establish the Republic of Biafra, sparking a brutal civil war. Since the end of the civil war in 1970, many Igbos believe that prior to the election of President Goodluck Jonathan (a Christian from the South) in 2010, the central government deliberately pursued a discriminatory policy aimed at marginalizing them. The election of President Muhammadu Buhari (a Muslim from the North) to the presidency in 2014 triggered fears that Igbo communities would once again be marginalized as they were before Jonathan's election.

It is worth noting that not all communities in southern Nigeria would like to be included in a sovereign Biafra.

Advice

The security environment in Nigeria is complex, and is particularly concerning in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Jigawa, and Kano states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Also avoid nonessential travel to Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, and Kaduna states. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.