Exactly 30 days from today, Ndi Anambra will go to the polls to elect a new governor that will take over power from the incumbent, Willie Obiano, and manage the affairs of the state for the next four years, starting from March 17, 2022. But the recent increase of uncontrollable gunmen attacks on the citizens on a daily basis in the state suggests that the attackers are trying to disrupt the governorship election in the state, scheduled for November 6, 2021
In the midst of the bloodletting in the state, it will be recalled that Simon Ekpa, a follower of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had three months ago, said that “a no-election order will be activated by members of IPOB.” He had boasted that elections would not be held in Biafraland “starting from the Anambra election.”
With such statements and the level of compliance seen so far, with most of the sit-at-home order in Nigeria’s South-East region, the level of voter turnout during the Anambra gubernatorial election this November becomes a source of real concern to all stakeholders in the election project. The concern becomes even more palpable with the series of kidnapping, killings and destruction of properties, especially, security formations across the state. This has raised suspicions among indigenes and non-indigenes residing in the state that the current ungodly attacks are being perpetrated by IPOB security outfit known as the Eastern Security Network (ESN), to prevent eligible voters from coming out to cast their votes.
The opinion of people on the development was that the situation looked like sponsored attacks by desperate politicians, who want to get into power by all means. The respondents also said that IPOB activities had been hijacked by the same politicians, using the garment of IPOB orders, including the every Monday Sit-At-Home order, to harass and intimidate opponents for their selfish political interest. The respondents further said that security challenges during election year like the present case, was not the first time in the electoral history of the state. They mentioned similar attacks that happened during the era of the current Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, as governor in 2006. During his administration, there were a lot of kidnappings, political assassinations and arsons on government properties, including the state-owned Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS). Ngige, as a sitting governor, was also kidnapped, taken to a dingy toilet, where he was made to sign his own resignation at gun point. This was in addition to his oath-taking photographs at the then notorious Okija shrine while Ngige’s predecessor, Chinwoke Mbadinoju, a popular personality in the state, a lawyer, Barnabas Igwe and his pregnant wife were murdered in cold blood in a similar way Dr. Chike Akunyili lost his life.
The power tussle during Ngige’s short-lived governorship was between Ngige and Chris Uba, the younger brother to the present governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Andy Uba. The younger Uba served as a political godfather to Dr Ngige, both members of the People Democratic Party (PDP).
It was gathered that disrupting the Anambra election would be another achievement for a group that claims to fight for its peoples’ freedom and has been unleashing terror on them. And from the look of things, if the so called “unknown gunmen,” are not checked, the impacts will certainly hamper the electoral proceedings and scare voters away from the ballot box, come November 6, 2021.
In the interim, the fear of the unknown has forced political parties to shut down or suspend their rallies to sell their manifestos to the people they want to govern. Candidates that had flagged off their campaigns before the hail of bullets took over the nooks and crannies of the state such as Chukwuma Soludo (APGA), Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP) and Godwin Maduka of the Accord Party, continued with the campaign with trepidation, while the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Valentine Ozigbo and the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Andy Uba, had officially suspended their rallies.
According to Ozigbo, due to the insecurity development and the attendant bloodletting, and in line with his belief that no life is worth anybody’s ambition, “I suspended all my campaign rallies and public appearances scheduled for this week. Every life is precious and ought to be protected and preserved.
“Indeed, all of Ndi Anambra and my family are shaken by the unimaginable violence, which took the life of our illustrious son, Dr Chike Akunyili, the husband of our iconic daughter, the late Professor Dora Akunyili. We mourn his loss and send our deepest sympathies to his children whom I have sent my private condolence. May the Lord receive the soul of the departed and grant his loved ones the fortitude to bear this tragic loss,” Ozigbo had said while announcing the suspension of his campaigns.
Andy Uba, the candidate of the APC, who also cancelled his campaign flag-off that was slated for October 2, in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the South-East, over the security challenges in the state, made the disclosure in his 61st independence anniversary message to the people of Anambra state. He said: “Like every other well-meaning member of the public, I have followed with much sadness and grief, the recent, unfortunate and mindless state of violence and insecurity in Anambra state. I have also watched with disdain obvious breakdown of institutional capacity and inability of the APGA-led state government to address security challenges and prevent the state from further descent into anarchy and chaos,” Uba said.
At the moment, other candidates have gone into hiding for fear of the unknown, just as political parties campaign collaterals and out-door advertorials had disappeared from the streets of the state. While many believed that IPOB was responsible, largely, for the spate of violence in the state, the group, in response to the labeling, distanced itself from the bloodletting and went ahead to reveal the identity of those, it alleged, were behind the killings in Anambra
In a statement issued by its Media Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Powerful, IPOB said that as a group, it was “worried by the increasing rate of senseless killings in Biafra land, especially Anambra and Imo States,” adding that “the intelligence unit of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been intensifying efforts towards uncovering the masterminds of these heinous crimes. These efforts have paid off as the unit has been able to track some of the people behind the atrocities.”
Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, in his reaction, disclosed that the recent killings in the state “is linked to politics and perpetuated by some desperate politicians, who are ready to do anything to take over the state by force.”
While there were speculations that IPOB was responsible for the attacks, especially with the alleged chant of “no Biafra, no election” by the attackers in many incidents, Governor Willie Obiano, in an independence day broadcast in Awka, Anambra State, last Friday, stated otherwise, adding that the forces behind the attacks had a target to scare voters and seize power in the state.
“For us in Anambra State, we have just stepped into our decisive moment. 33 days from today, Ndi Anambra will decide who will be their next governor. The approaching election has created a strange desperation among the political class leading to acts that are not only inimical to the regime of peace that my administration has entrenched in our beloved state for eight years, but also a threat to democracy.
“The deliberate attempt to heat up the system and create the impression of chaos in Anambra State is a ploy by desperate political leaders to wet the ground and provide a perfect alibi for electoral malpractices. We are aware of this plot; and we shall resist it with all our might,” the governor assured.
Obiano reiterated that Anambra had been the safest state in Nigeria for eight long years, vowing that its people would not allow some unconscionable politicians to turn Anambra into a theater of crime and absurdity. “The negative identity they are trying to foist on Anambra State shall not prevail. We shall rise together to protect our state, protect our communities and defend our democracy! Ndi Anambra, November 6, 2021 is our date with destiny. On that day, we shall decide whether we shall continue our steady march into the Promised Land or turn around and head back to Egypt. But we may do well to remember that my Team and I have changed the story of Anambra State in the past eight years” he submitted.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state Dr. Ukwankwu Orji, on his part, maintained that the umpire would conduct the election in the state on November 6, 2021.
The major and open attacks recorded so far in the state by the elusive “unknown gunmen,” included; the killing of Dr. Chike Akunyili, husband of a former NAFDAC boss, Professor Dora Akunyili, who was killed at Eke-Nkpor junction in Idemili North local government area of the state; the killing of seven people, including an unidentified man who was beheaded and a written note was placed on him, with inscription “ no election in Anambra,” at Nkpor junction, also in Idemili North Council Area.
There was also the attack and burning of offices of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Nnewi, the industrial city of the state, on Sunday, last week. The gunmen, according to eyewitnesses, drove from Owerri Road in four Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), stopped at Emecourt Road Junction, where they released some gunshots which made passersby to scamper for safety, before they headed to the offices, which they also set ablaze. A source, who pleaded anonymity, said the attackers, were shouting, “we don’t want Nigerian flag in Biafra Land again”.
The state Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed an incident of fire in Nnewi, but refused to state categorically the offices involved. He merely said: “At about 2 p.m. of 3rd Oct 2021, the command received a distress call of a fire incident in Nnewi. The police operatives are currently on ground and the area has since been cordoned off. Further details shall be communicated.”
Also an aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe’s Nnewi house was attacked by People, IPOB, according to him. Igbokwe, in a post on his Facebook page, accused IPOB members of being behind the attacks. The APC chieftain, who had recently accused IPOB of killing Dr Chike Akunyili, added that nobody was hurt during the incident. “IPOB invaded my house in Nnewi about now. I am sure they razed down my house giving the jerry cans of petrol I saw being offloaded from their Sienna car via CCTV. To God be the glory, I am still alive. My study is my greatest regret,” Igbokwe wrote.
Two persons reportedly lost their lives in the same Nnewi attacks, as the attacker also descended on the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, located in the area and injured one person, shortly after the DSS and FRSC successful operation. The attackers also set ablaze one of the vehicles belonging to the Department of State Service (DSS). But a source told our correspondent that a total of five persons lost their lives in the Nnewi black Sunday attacks. Among the victims was a 300-level Medical Rehabilitation student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik), Awka, simply identified as Miss Chioma, who was shot dead by the gunmen in Nnewi, on Sunday afternoon while trying to capture the activities of the gunmen who caused havoc in the industrial city of the state using her mobile phone.
According to a source, Chioma was rushed to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, for urgent treatment, but no attention was given to her due to the doctors’ strike. She bled to death while waiting, having been shot in the thigh, the source volunteered. The rampaging gunmen also launched attacks in Oko and Ajali, both in Orumba North Council Area of the state, where two police officers lost their lives. The station and vehicles at the station were all set ablaze. The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, while confirming all the incidents, said investigations were ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.
As it stands, the security situation in the entire Anambra stands on the edge and nobody knows where the next calamity will be recorded.
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