By Abigail David
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned members against disregarding the authority of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, amid a growing leadership dispute within the organisation.
In a statement issued on Friday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said members or factions acting contrary to Kanu’s directives or the organisation’s Code of Conduct would face disciplinary measures, including suspension, removal from office and expulsion.
The warning follows an internal rift over the leadership of IPOB’s Directorate of State after the dissolution of the third administration led by Chika Edoziem and the inauguration of a new leadership headed by US-based Chris Nwaọgụ.
According to IPOB, Kanu exercised powers granted under the group’s Code of Conduct to dissolve the previous administration and appoint a fourth Directorate of State.
The organisation maintained that Kanu remains the only individual authorised to appoint, suspend or remove principal officers within the movement.
“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,” the statement said.
IPOB further declared that the third Directorate of State administration had ceased to exist and that any directives, appointments or decisions issued by Chika Edoziem or members of the dissolved leadership after its removal were null and void.
The development underscores ongoing internal tensions within the separatist movement, which advocates for the restoration of an independent Biafra state in Nigeria’s South-East.
Kanu, who was first arrested in 2015 on charges including treasonable felony, fled Nigeria while on bail in 2017 before being rearrested in Kenya and returned to Nigeria in 2021. Despite his detention and ongoing legal proceedings, IPOB insists that he remains the group’s supreme leader and retains ultimate authority over its affairs.
The latest leadership dispute is one of the most significant internal challenges the organisation has faced in recent years, with competing factions laying claim to legitimacy within the movement.
