Security report on Anambra election

After days of brainstorming, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has resolved to hold the Anambra governorship election on Nov. 18 as scheduled.

Mr Leo Okedife INEC director in-charge of Voter Education and Publicity in the State, said in interview with our correspondent atthe INEC’s office in Awka that the election would not be postponed.

The police and Directorate of State Security (DSS) had also advised INEC, that the election should not be postponed and that the security agencies in the State are on top of any security breaches before, during and after the election and presently no amours tankers and riot police are deployed in the State. Quoting the Police Public Relation Officer, Anambra State Command.

Okedife, who said INEC as the body statutorily set up to conduct elections in the country, would not take orders from any institution with regard to the performance of its constitutional duties. He said INEC is fully ready to conduct the election in a credible manner.

“We have therefore weighed all the consequences of a postponement, the security situation in the election and have resolved to go ahead with the conduct of the election on Saturday as scheduled,’’ he said.

Okedife however, urged the security agencies to brace up with the security challenges before during and after the elections to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the state.

He said, “the idea of postponing elections at this time of the exercise, if not checked, will become a regular feature in the country’s electoral process.

On IPOB threat

A threat like this, Mr. Uzoma Chinedu a trader based in Awka, said, shouldn’t stop election in Anambra at all and if the Federal and State Government give room for that it shows we are not prepared and mature to be a one Nigeria or sustain Democracy in the country and that the leaders of thought are not in contact with realities of time.

“It is totally unacceptable and the trend will continue if it is allowed to effect in Anambra, then it will escalate to other part of the southeast State down to the general election in 2019.

“This means that in the future every election in south east  will be determine by the activities of the sect. under the guise of security threat of sit-at-Home No Election and that will at the end of the day make people not believe in our elections process anymore,’’ Chinedu stated.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the election is expected to be strongly fought between the candidate of the incumbent governor of the  All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Willie Obiano and his  All Progressive Congress (APC) challenger, Dr. Tony Nwoye.