Coup: Ekpa’s Chief of Staff topples his govt weeks after he was thrown into prison
All is not well with the Autopilot group—a breakaway faction of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), as Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, Chief of Staff to Mr Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Government In Exile, has overthrown his principal, an insider source familiar with the development told NewsBand Newspaper.
Though, this comes barely a month, after the Finnish Government announced that Ekpa will remain in detention as his trial is scheduled to start in May 2025 after he was arrested for terror-related activities.
Ekpa was taken into custody alongside four others suspected to be his financiers.
Ngozi, a former chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Atlanta, United States, the insider source revealed, has made some changes in the cabinet of the newly re-declared United States of Biafra in Finland.
She abruptly removed the group’s Minister of Finance, Mr. Okechukwu Nkere.
The sudden change is said to have infuriated other members of the cabinet, more especially, Simon Ekpa’s Minister of Information, who goes by the name, “Simon Ekpa Akparawa”.
The insider source told this paper that Ngozi masterminded the subtle coup so as to avoid what happened in IPOB after the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu.
“Yes, Ngozi has toppled Simon Ekpa. They don’t want a repeat of what happened in the case of Nnamdi Kanu to happen again. When Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by the Nigerian government, there was nobody strong enough to take over from him after his deputy, Uche Okafor-Mefor voluntarily left the group.
“So, the changes Dr. Ngozi Orabueze made in the organization was a subtle coup d’etat. She is fully in change now”, the insider source said.
Moreover, Akparawa in a post on his official X handle queried Dr. Ngozi Orabueze over the rush in changing everything in the organization.
He also bashed Orabueze for attending security meetings of Biafra Defense Force.
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According to Mr. Akparawa, before Simon Ekpa was arrested, she was never allowed to attend security meetings of the Biafra Government In Exile.
“Why the rush in trying to change everything to herself in few days if Prime is coming out. It was the rapid changes by women in America getting into our Defence that led to the sabotage and killing of General #IKONSO.
“Prime Minister never gave you access to Biafra Army, he never allowed you to attend security meetings, why do you want to be there now?”, Akparawa said in a post on his X handle.
In another round of post, he warned some members of the autopilot group to desist from anchoring program to discuss about the incarceration of their leader if they don’t have any privileged information.
He said no one has spoken to Simon Ekpa since he was taken into custody and also, he has not approved any changes in the so called Biafra Government In Exile.
“If you don’t have any privilege information about Prime Minister decisions don’t open a program and start talking defending anything.
“No one has spoken to PM since he went inside. He has not approved any changes.
“He has not approved the new list of Ngozi cabinet flying. He didn’t remove his Finance Minister that stood by him for years in any ways. Ngozi is imposing decisions and using Prime Minister’s name. Biafrans go and ask questions can Prime Minister order his PA to be suspended to the detriment of the Biafra Army.
“Join today’s Fundraisers for Biafra Army support.
“Don’t ask for bank account accountability in absence of Prime Minister & don’t try to remove the account Prime Minister put on the website, don’t try to put your own account, stop blackmailing the finance minister, after our Prime Minister @simon_ekpa the next good guy is the Finance Minister Okechukwu Nkere”, Akparawa added.
