By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described the purported suspension of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the former Head of the dissolved 3rd Administration of its Directorate of State, Chika Edoziem, as illegal, null and void.

Kanu had announced the dissolution of the 3rd administration of the DOS, headed by Edoziem, appointing a 4th administration under Nwaogu, as a replacement. Following the development, Edoziem announced that the group has suspended Kanu as its leader.

However, in a statement released by its spokesperson/Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Friday, IPOB said Kanu's dissolution of the DOS headed by Edoziem is final and was carried out in accordance with the IPOB's governing laws.

The statement, titled, "Dissolution of the 3rd Administration of the Directorate of State and the illegal, null and void actions of Chika Edoziem and his dissolved group, read, "The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, under the supreme leadership of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wishes to address recent developments and clarify the constitutional and organisational position of the movement concerning the dissolution of the 3rd Administration of the Directorate of State (DOS).

"A few days ago, the Supreme Leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, acting pursuant to the powers vested exclusively in him under the IPOB Code of Conduct, formally dissolved the 3rd Administration of the Directorate of State led by Chika Edoziem and inaugurated the 4th Administration headed by Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ of the United States of America.

"That decision was lawful, final, binding, and immediately effective upon its announcement.

"Subsequently, Chika Edoziem and certain members of his dissolved administration purported to issue a statement suspending the Office of the Supreme Leader and the Director of Radio Biafra. Such action is not merely irregular; it is illegal, unconstitutional, null, void, and of no effect whatsoever. No person can derive authority from an office that has already ceased to exist."

The statement also highlighted IPOB's governing laws, stressing that, according to its Code of Conduct, the Leader, Kanu, is vested with the exclusive powers to dismiss and appoint officers.

The statement added, "For the avoidance of doubt, the IPOB Code of Conduct provides under Section II, Subsection A on Appointments and Dismissals: "The power to appoint, suspend or dismiss erring Principal officers vest exclusively on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu except and to the extent he clearly and expressly delegates that power to any other principal officer."

"The language of the Code is clear, mandatory, and admits no ambiguity. The authority to appoint, suspend, dismiss, or dissolve principal officers and administrative structures resides exclusively in the Office of the Supreme Leader. No Coordinator, Principal Officer, Directorate, Committee, or collective body possesses any constitutional authority to suspend, remove, or overrule the Supreme Leader."

The statement noted that "any purported suspension of the office of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not only foolish and delusional but a legal impossibility within the framework of IPOB's governing laws".

It added that "the actions of Chika Edoziem and his associates constitute a grave breach of the IPOB Code of Conduct and amount to: Gross insubordination against the Supreme Leadership; Constitutional misconduct;

Abuse of office; Attempted usurpation of powers not granted by the Code;

Deliberate sabotage of the command-and-control structure of the movement; Conduct capable of undermining organisational cohesion and discipline.