The spokesman of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Comrade Emma Powerful, has insisted that the sit-at-home scheduled for February 2, 2026, across the South-East will go ahead as planned.
Powerful stated this in a statement issued on Sunday, stressing that the directive was aimed at showing solidarity with traders at the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State. The market was shut for one week by Governor Chukwuma Soludo following traders’ alleged failure to comply with the state government’s ban on the Monday sit-at-home.
The Anambra State Government has announced that the market will reopen on Monday, February 2, warning that it would be shut for an additional month if traders refuse to resume business. IPOB has strongly opposed the closure and subsequently announced the sit-at-home to support the affected traders.
However, the directive has generated internal controversy within IPOB. The group’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, alongside some members of the IPOB Directorate of State (DOS), publicly opposed the sit-at-home, claiming the organisation had abandoned such actions in the South-East. They also questioned the credibility of Emma Powerful, alleging that the position of spokesperson had been compromised.
In response, Powerful dismissed the claims and insisted that the sit-at-home is “sacrosanct.” In a statement titled “Clarification Statement on the Lies and Falsehoods,” he alleged that government and ruling party agents were impersonating IPOB members to mislead the public.
Powerful further claimed that Ejiofor had been expelled from IPOB over two years ago and no longer represents the group or its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu. He also accused two DOS members, Chinasa Nworu and Chike Edoziem, of attempting to hijack the organisation and divert attention from Kanu’s continued detention, alleging that they had held meetings with Governor Soludo.
He dismissed claims that he does not exist, describing them as attempts to spread misinformation, and urged Biafrans to ignore false narratives and comply with the February 2 sit-at-home order.
