From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Igbo youths under the aegis of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) have insisted that elections will hold in the South East despite the threat by Simon Ekpa, embattled member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who had recently said elections would be disrupted in the region in 2023.

The Igbo youths’ reaction is coming shortly after IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful distanced his group from the purported threat by Ekpa.

President General of COSEYL Goodluck Ibem who reacted in a statement he made available to reporters in Owerri noted that Ekpa’s threat is a ploy to disenfranchise the Igbo in the 2023 election.

He also recalled that such a threat in the past has not favoured Ndigbo as he pointed out that it will provide an opportunity for other zones to manipulate results.

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According to him, “Such orders in the past have always favoured the enemies of our democratic institution who seize such opportunity to manipulate the electoral process by writing election results for their preferred candidates.

“Such orders have always been counterproductive to the well-being of our people and should be discouraged by anyone who loves Ndigbo.”

“In the 2017 Anambra gubernatorial election, such orders were given that there will be no election in the state. At the end of the day what happened? Winners emerged despite the boycott of the elections by the people.

“We should be wiser to avoid making mistakes that will be detrimental to our overall well-being. From 2015 till date, Ndigbo have been battered political by this present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and any move to discourage people from exercising their franchise is tantamount to adding salt to injury.

“If people are stopped from exercising their franchise, candidates will definitely emerge as winners who will deal with our people mercilessly. Only those who want their people to be governed by criminals who will kill and maim our people will say there will be no election in Igboland come 2023,” Ibem stated.