Politics
INEC May Cancel Anambra 2021 Governorship Election, See Why
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may cancel the Anambra 2021 Governorship election.
EkoHotBlog reports that the Anambra 2021 Governor election scheduled to hold November 6, 2021, might not hold under the rising insecurity in the Southeast.
According to topnaijanews, the Chief Press Secretary to the commission’s chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi in a recent interview said it is deeply concerned about the situation in the South-East especially as it concerns threats to disrupt the elections in the zone.
INEC also explained that there could be constitutional crisis if it (commission) was unable to conduct general elections in the region.
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Oyekanmi, however, said INEC had been engaging with security agencies on the platform of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.
He said the commission and the security agencies had been discussing and comparing notes on the security situation across the country generally.
“The commission is deeply concerned about the security situation in the South-East. It is an established fact that INEC cannot carry out electoral activities under chaotic conditions.
“God forbid that INEC is unable to conduct such elections at the appointed time because this will lead to a constitutional crisis. The constitution did not envisage that such elections will not hold.
“With regard to the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 6, we are aware of the various efforts by the security agencies on the one hand, and all the men and women of goodwill in the region on the other, to calm things down,” Oyekanmi said.
Anambra 2021: INEC May Cancel Anambra Governorship Election, See Why
Meanwhile, EkoHotBlog reports that INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra, Nkwachukwu Orji, at the opening ceremony of the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) Amber Zone Implementers Workshop held in the Anambra said ” the sit-at-home order by the pro-Biafra group, IPOB, may threaten its preparations for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.
Mr Orji also disclosed that the commission had so far recruited and mobilised about 25, 000 Ad hoc staff that will man the 5, 720 polling units in the state.
He said attacks on INEC facilities on May 23 were a source of worry to the commission, especially as it strives to achieve huge success in the forthcoming election.
“Our preparations are on course, even with all the challenges we are facing, such as the attacks on our state office on May 23rd and the sit-at-home order, which is eating into our preparations.
“But we are doing our best to ensure that we overcome these challenges and we can only urge the public to be law-abiding in order to achieve the desired electoral success in the state,” he said.
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Mr Orji said the commission was already recruiting ad-hoc staff online and at the same time interacting with concerned parties.
He expressed satisfaction at what the commission had achieved so far, in terms of human structure.
Mr Orji said if the success continued without future interruptions of its activities, the commission would confidently be ready to conduct a free, fair and peaceful election.
He, however, dismissed claims by some persons that the commission’s earlier decision to supply non-sensitive materials for the election from its South-east zonal store in Owerri, Imo, would jeopardise the smooth conduct of the poll.
“The sensitive materials will go to the Central Bank of Nigeria branch in Awka. But we are not talking about sensitive materials here. So there is no need for the alarm being raised.
“The commission is working according to plans to put all things in place by the end of this month.
“Election process is something that does not have room for mistakes. We make sure that in the process of preparing for election, all that is needed would be on ground,” he said.
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