Embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has said that the realisation of a sovereign Biafran Republic was more important to him than his family.
Kanu also described President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as ‘aliens’ in Nigeria, saying that they were constitutionally unqualified to contest Saturday’s presidential election.
President Buhari is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Abubakar is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In an exclusive interview with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Igbo conducted, on Monday, in London, the transcript which was made available to by BBC World Service Group Communications, Kanu said the lockdown of Biafra on February 16, during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, was to send out a message that Biafra is what the people want and not Nigeria.
“We will lock Biafra down on the 16th to convey this message that Biafra is all that we are seeking, is all that we want, not Nigeria.
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“It’s expired long time ago. Biafra is of greater emotional significance to me than my family. I told them when I started. I would sacrifice anything for Biafra, including them. My wife understands that,” Kanu said.
Kanu, a British-Nigerian citizen, said of President Buhari and his challenger Atiku Abubakar: “A Sudanese man is running for the presidency of Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar is from the Cameroons, am sure you know that.
“The constitution of Nigeria clearly spells out that you must be born a Nigerian before you can put yourself forward.”
Speaking on his escape from Nigeria after the Nigeria Army invaded his Umuahia, Abia State family house, Kanu said: “That is our land, we own it. So, there are places or should I say, there are areas and routes around the place where the army, even the worst intentions in the world couldn’t have you know.
“Imagined that we could have used to make our way out of that very hellish situation,” Kanu was quoted to have said.