The rise in insecurity in Anambra State ahead of the gubernatorial elections has continued to generate dialogues and debates amongst political stakeholders.
Anambra state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Dr. Nwachukwu Orji, reeled out the number of voters poised to participate in upcoming elections.
He made the disclosure at a parley between INEC Anambra Statetate Resident Electoral Commissioner and a Civil Society Situation Room held in the Nation’s capital Abuja to enlighten Nigerians on the forthcoming election.
The resident electoral commissioner said the elections will be unique because 5720 polling units will be involved in the polls with 326 wards.
Dr.Nwachukwu also revealed some task that has been concluded to ensure a credible elections by improving the wards by assigning specific officials to each ward (RA).He said some offices previously destroyed are being repaired.
Dr. Nwachukwu complained of poor campaign trends by political parties due to the insecurity in the region,which has also affected voter education.
“There is nothing in our timeline that we are running behind schedule if the election will come next week, we will be able to deliver that election. We are prepared, we have all the materials we need, we are working within the scheduled time, we are hoping that the environment is conducive for us to be able to deliver that election”. He noted.
“And the confidence in election, I have confidence in election Security, we have been meeting frequently at the level of the interagency consultative committee on Election Security which is the body I have a privilege of chairing and then we have assurances that the situation is not out of control.
The situation is under control, political parties are working in their interest in having the election conducted, infact right now the chairman of the commission is meeting with leaders of the political parties at the national level and they kept emphasizing their commitment to have this Election completed”. He said.
“Yesterday I was with you the leaders of political parties at the state level and they are all working had, so if the politicians don’t think that the election is not going to happen, they won’t be putting their money in running the election and running campaigns”.
“I am confident that the election will happen and I believe that we have made all the arrangements that required to be made and we are making the ones that we required to making it possible”. He assured.
In her opening remarks, Convener of the Situation Room, Ene Obi called for a detailed and transparent electoral processes during the forthcoming Anambra elections and beyond .
According to her, the rise in insecurity in Anambra State ahead of the gubernatorial elections, is a clarion call for all hands to be on deck especially the security agencies as Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Nwachukwu Orji has assured Nigerians of a credible polls.
“We are calling on religious leaders, we are calling on traditional rulers because everyone that has violence and what have you is coming in from a community and we were reassured by some of the traditional leaders that an Anambra person will not shade blood of an Anambra or Indigbo that you are not supposed to buy their own culture and this is the culture that has been, so what we are calling on is end to the violence and let citizens participate because your participation is your participation, your voting is your participation in the Electoral process”.
In the democracy itself, we need citizens to participate and we are calling on all those who may be inhibiting others to please free everyone because they also need to be part of the process that will change the cause of leadership”. She said.
“You can’t change cause of leadership unless you are able to vote and if you are not voting, we are calling on the political class also to get themselves together because it is important that people come out and vote.
“What we are looking for in this election is one vote, one count”. And Anambra State has the history of the low voting population in the country”. She explained.
