CHAIRMAN, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has reaffirmed the readiness of the commission for smooth conduct of the Anambra State governorship election holding on Saturday.
Yakubu stated this at the INEC headquarters in Awka, on Tuesday, while addressing staff of the commission.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that Yakubu was in Awka on a two-day visit to assess the preparedness of the state office of the commission and to meet with various stakeholders on the forthcoming election.
He also had an interaction session with the leadership of the police, Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Immigration.
Yakubu said he would also meet with council of traditional rulers, election observers and other relevant stakeholders in the state.
Speaking on behalf of others, Commissioner of Police, Mr Echeng Echeng, assured the INEC chairman of the readiness to hold the election.
At a grand rally ahead of the election on Saturday, governors of Oyo, Delta and Abia states, Seyi Makinde, Ifeanyi Okowa and Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively, on Tuesday, joined the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to seek for votes.
Ikpeazu, who is also the chairman of Valentine Ozigbo national campaign council, urged Anambra voters to vote Ozigbo, insisting that they will work to ensure he emerged as governor.
Okowa said the recently-conducted convention of PDP, which produced new leaders of the party, had sent signal that the party is ready to take back the country.
He, therefore, urged the people to be courageous and take back what belonged to them. Governor Makinde said the election on Saturday is a choice for the best.
Also at the rally were deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu; former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi; Senator Ndi Obi, Senator Uche Ekwunife and Professor A.B.C. Nwosu.
Obi, in his address, lamented that the state has remained where he left it with roads and other amenities depreciated while the state owes more than N120 billion in debt.
Ozigbo, who was presented the flag of the party at the rally, pledged to implement his manifesto if elected into office.
“Everyone in the state is angry and wants something new. I will give Anambra a new life if I become governor,” he said.
In another development, concerned by the prevalent frightening security at the dawn of the governorship election, nine leading candidates in the poll have jointly aligned with the call by traditional rulers and bishops from the South-East for demilitarisation of the zone and release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
They also begged members of IPOB and youths from the zone to give peace a chance, so as to guarantee a smooth conduct of the election.
In a statement signed by the candidates and made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, they called on the Federal Government to take those steps “in order to eschew all acts that may torpedo the forthcoming election.”
The nine candidates that signed the statement are Andy Uba of the All Progressives congress (APC); Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA); Onyejegbu Okwudili of the Allied People’s Movement (APM); Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Obinna Uzoh of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party (YPP); Obiora Okonkwo of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); Godwin Maduka of the Accord; Ben Etiaba of Action Alliance (AA) and Akachukwu Nwankpo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Stressing their commitment to the conduct of a violence-free election, the candidates appealed to “IPOB to cancel all scheduled sit-at-home orders, as these have already caused untold hardship for the people.”
The statement read: “We the undersigned candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State commit to peaceful and violence-free conduct in the run-up to, during and after the election;
“Be it resolved as follows that: we, the candidates in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election, commit unequivocally to non-violence and the maintenance of peace throughout the duration of the election and beyond.
“We urge all our supporters and other stakeholders to commit fully to these ideals and refrain from any act that may imperil the election.
“In order to eschew all acts that may torpedo the forthcoming election, we urge the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu to the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers and the representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops.
“We urge the Federal Government to take urgent steps to demilitarise the South-East zone and stem the heightened tension, skirmishes and endless bloodletting between the security agencies and our youths.
“We assure our youths that we have heard your cries and that we feel your pain. We urge our youths to eschew violence and commit afresh to peace…
“We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Armed Forces, other security agencies and all stakeholders to discharge their mandates in accordance with law and in a fair and just manner.”
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