Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has declared that he would negotiate with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) if elected president next year.
Although IPOB is designated a terrorist organisation, Alhaji Atiku, however, expressed willingness to negotiate with the proscribed Igbo group.
He said this while appearing on Channels TV’s Presidential Town Hall series on Sunday evening.
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According to him, “We are in a democratic society. There is no one geopolitical zone that can, on its own, achieve political power without crossing the Niger or being in alliance with other geopolitical zones.
“I think this is what they should begin to think. OK, how do they partner other parts of the country to secure political power to protect their interests? I think these are the way to go as far as the agitation for IPOB is concerned.”
Alhaji Atiku also urged Biafran agitators to form an alliance with other regions to secure political power, promising to restructure the country, devolve power and resources to regions to address agitations.
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He continued, “The IPOB issue in the South East, as far as I am concerned, is about the realisation of Biafra. Is it possible for Biafra to be realised today? How? By negotiations or by going through another civil war which we cannot afford to?” said the PDP presidential standard-bearer.
He also explained that “We should be able to negotiate with the agitators from the South-East as far as the issue of Biafra is concerned.”
